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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
proved product exists. The arbitrary use of such products by a . . . dentist should not be reported in /ADA. DAVID A. BECK, DDS MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY RICHMOND
□ Comment: Dr. Colquitt accepts the method for locating centric and vertical occlusion, but questions the value of cen tric relation when transferred to a nonadjustable articulator w ithout a threedimensional orientation. The essence of this technique is that the use of the bal ancer transforms the patient’s mouth into a complex adjusted articulator. . . . Thus, the critical adjustments are made in the patient’s mouth on a well-carved anatom ically faithful restoration. . . . I agree with Dr. Colquitt that uncon trolled use of carborundum paste in the mouth can be damaging, but my tech nique is highly controlled. The interfer ences have been spot-ground at various pin-controlled increased vertical dimen sions, with the spotting based on the operator’s clinical judgment of the pa
tient’s needs. . . . The spot-grinding takes only a few minutes and involves only one to four 90° turns of the pin before the finetuning, which is done with the pin set on the desired vertical dimension and the patient grinding in all directions for ten to 20 seconds. Because the vertical dimen sion is held, and the average patient moves his or her mouth only a few m il limeters in each direction, there is not enough contact from further grinding to remove porcelain. . . . The balancer was designed for locating centric relation and for adjusting com plete dentures. . . . The balancer simply facilitates the identification and removal of occlusal interferences. Perhaps the de vice should be renamed the Coble Adjus ter. . . . In response to Dr. Beck, the short bridge (w hich he calls the recording plate, which is actually located on the top of the bridge) is supported by the lingual aspect of the anterior teeth and that portion of the premolars and molars above the rest of the contour as well as the gingiva. Some times wires are embedded in the acrylic resin to rest on noncontacting occlusal surfaces to support the bridge. If these do not give adequate support, the operator adapts a sheet of baseplate wax to the lin gual aspects of the posterior teeth at the crest of contour and the lingual anterior gingiva. The bridge is placed on top of the wax and cold-curing acrylic resin is sprinkled around to form the baseplate,
which is then tooth supported. FRED M. MEDWEDEFF, DDS NASHVILLE *
20/20 comments □ I see you are already receiving many letters decrying the 20120 television broadcast (ADA News 14(22):1,4, 6, Oct 24, 1983). . . . However, it is astonishing that a large number of dentists were sur prised that the media they trusted had be trayed them. . . . In our carefully con trolled environment, dentists tend to forget that we are good targets. We should be thankful for those who treat us fairly. We have no recourse except personal letters against occasional outbursts such as 20120 other than to ensure that the net work involved gets none of the marketing money we are preparing to spend. Our political action committees have worked to our benefit— and that of our patients. Perhaps we need a media committee. K. C. MCCULLOUGH, JR., DDS DUNCANVILLE, TEX
Correction □ In the section Clinical Products in Dentistry (Novembr), the heads for nitrous-oxide oxygen sedation devices and nitrous-oxide oxygen scavenging equip ment were transposed. The listing ap pears on page 876 of the pullout section.
THE PRESIDENTS
Thomas B. Hartzell 1921-1922 Doctor Hartzell, of Minneapolis, became the 59th president of the Association at the 1921 meeting in Milwaukee. In that year, a number of dental schools began stipulat ing one year of pre-dental college work as a requirement for admission. Doctor Hartzell, who was a dentist and a physician, in 1904 organized the periodontia department at the University of Minnesota, where he was a professor of oral and general surgery. He was the author of several books on mouth diseases and surgery. Doctor Hartzell was a member of the Research Commission of the Ameri can Dental Association for many years. He was born in Ohio in 1866 and died in 1951. Thirty-six lives were lost in violence during a coal mine strike in 1922 at Herrin, Il linois. In a conference in Washington, the United States, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan agreed to limit naval construction. Nine countries outlawed the use of poison gas. Thousands of industrial workers went on strike against reductions in wages.
Each month, The Jou rn al prints the picture of a past president of the American Dental Association w ith a brief biography and a few historical highlights of his presidential year. The series began in February 1979 with the first president and is continuing in chronological order.
910 ■ JADA, Vol. 107, December 1983
proved product exists. The arbitrary use of such products by a . . . dentist should not be reported in /ADA. DAVID A. BECK, DDS MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY RICHMOND
□ Comment: Dr. Colquitt accepts the method for locating centric and vertical occlusion, but questions the value of cen tric relation when transferred to a nonadjustable articulator w ithout a threedimensional orientation. The essence of this technique is that the use of the bal ancer transforms the patient’s mouth into a complex adjusted articulator. . . . Thus, the critical adjustments are made in the patient’s mouth on a well-carved anatom ically faithful restoration. . . . I agree with Dr. Colquitt that uncon trolled use of carborundum paste in the mouth can be damaging, but my tech nique is highly controlled. The interfer ences have been spot-ground at various pin-controlled increased vertical dimen sions, with the spotting based on the operator’s clinical judgment of the pa
tient’s needs. . . . The spot-grinding takes only a few minutes and involves only one to four 90° turns of the pin before the finetuning, which is done with the pin set on the desired vertical dimension and the patient grinding in all directions for ten to 20 seconds. Because the vertical dimen sion is held, and the average patient moves his or her mouth only a few m il limeters in each direction, there is not enough contact from further grinding to remove porcelain. . . . The balancer was designed for locating centric relation and for adjusting com plete dentures. . . . The balancer simply facilitates the identification and removal of occlusal interferences. Perhaps the de vice should be renamed the Coble Adjus ter. . . . In response to Dr. Beck, the short bridge (w hich he calls the recording plate, which is actually located on the top of the bridge) is supported by the lingual aspect of the anterior teeth and that portion of the premolars and molars above the rest of the contour as well as the gingiva. Some times wires are embedded in the acrylic resin to rest on noncontacting occlusal surfaces to support the bridge. If these do not give adequate support, the operator adapts a sheet of baseplate wax to the lin gual aspects of the posterior teeth at the crest of contour and the lingual anterior gingiva. The bridge is placed on top of the wax and cold-curing acrylic resin is sprinkled around to form the baseplate,
which is then tooth supported. FRED M. MEDWEDEFF, DDS NASHVILLE *
20/20 comments □ I see you are already receiving many letters decrying the 20120 television broadcast (ADA News 14(22):1,4, 6, Oct 24, 1983). . . . However, it is astonishing that a large number of dentists were sur prised that the media they trusted had be trayed them. . . . In our carefully con trolled environment, dentists tend to forget that we are good targets. We should be thankful for those who treat us fairly. We have no recourse except personal letters against occasional outbursts such as 20120 other than to ensure that the net work involved gets none of the marketing money we are preparing to spend. Our political action committees have worked to our benefit— and that of our patients. Perhaps we need a media committee. K. C. MCCULLOUGH, JR., DDS DUNCANVILLE, TEX
Correction □ In the section Clinical Products in Dentistry (Novembr), the heads for nitrous-oxide oxygen sedation devices and nitrous-oxide oxygen scavenging equip ment were transposed. The listing ap pears on page 876 of the pullout section.
THE PRESIDENTS
Thomas B. Hartzell 1921-1922 Doctor Hartzell, of Minneapolis, became the 59th president of the Association at the 1921 meeting in Milwaukee. In that year, a number of dental schools began stipulat ing one year of pre-dental college work as a requirement for admission. Doctor Hartzell, who was a dentist and a physician, in 1904 organized the periodontia department at the University of Minnesota, where he was a professor of oral and general surgery. He was the author of several books on mouth diseases and surgery. Doctor Hartzell was a member of the Research Commission of the Ameri can Dental Association for many years. He was born in Ohio in 1866 and died in 1951. Thirty-six lives were lost in violence during a coal mine strike in 1922 at Herrin, Il linois. In a conference in Washington, the United States, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan agreed to limit naval construction. Nine countries outlawed the use of poison gas. Thousands of industrial workers went on strike against reductions in wages.
Each month, The Jou rn al prints the picture of a past president of the American Dental Association w ith a brief biography and a few historical highlights of his presidential year. The series began in February 1979 with the first president and is continuing in chronological order.
910 ■ JADA, Vol. 107, December 1983