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Divided We Fall
1973, w e w o u ld do w ell to c o n sid e r licen su re by a p p ro v a l o f c re d e n tia ls a fte r an initial license has b een g ra n te d by a p a rtic u la r s ta te . W e m ust also keep in m ind th e p ro b lem s o f c e rta in are a s an d sta te s w h en w e co n sid e r this ty p e o f licen su re. Sam uel J. O ltm an s
2. Bureau of Economic Research and Statistics: Survey of attitudes on dental licensing procedures. JADA, Decem ber 1972, 85, 6:1271. 3. News of Dentistry. JADA, December 1972, 85, 6: 1209.
1. Guidelines for licensure by Criteria approval, Minne sota State Board of Dentistry.
N orthw est D entistry or the state association of North Dakota,
This article, which appeared in the May-June 1973 issue of N orthw est Dentistry, was a talk given at the 1972 State Officers
Conference and does not necessarily represent any opinion of South Dakota, or Minnesota.
Opinion of Other Journals
. . . D i v i d e d w e fa ll ■ ■ I f an y th in g can be learn ed fro m p ast ex p e rie n c e , th e req u ire m e n t o f v ertical m em b er ship is im p o rta n t to a stro n g n atio n al o rg an iza tio n . Should a tte m p ts by c e rta in d e n tists to o v er tu rn th e p re se n t plan th a t re q u ire s m em b ersh ip at th e lo cal, sta te and national le v e ls p ro v e su c ce ssfu l, o rganized d e n tistry co u ld c o n ceiv ab ly b e d ealt a m o rtal blow . T h e A m erican S o ciety o f D e n ta l S u rg eo n s, th e A m erican D en tal C o n v e n tio n , th e first A m e ric a n D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n , an d th e S o u th ern D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n re p re se n t o rg an izatio n al a t te m p ts b e tw e e n 1840 and 1892 to form a n a tio n al den tal so ciety . N o n e o f th em p ro v id ed for m em b ersh ip in o th e r th an th e p a re n t o rg an iza tio n . In 1892 th e A m erican D e n ta l A sso ciatio n an d th e S o u th e rn D en tal A sso c ia tio n u nited to fo rm th e N a tio n a l D en tal A sso c ia tio n . T h is gro u p c o n tin u e d to be an in effectiv e sp o k esm an fo r d e n tistry until 1913 w hen a plan w as put in to effect w h ereb y a single p a y m e n t o f d u es to his local so ciety p ro v id ed a d e n tist w ith m em b e rsh ip in his lo cal, sta te and n atio n al o rg an iza tio n s. F ro m th a t d a te to 1922, w h en th e nam e w as ch an g ed to th e A m erican D e n ta l A sso c i atio n , m em b ersh ip escalated fro m a p p ro x im a te ly 1,000 to 33,000 d en tists. T h e id ea fo r v ertical m em b ersh ip a p p a re n tly o rig in ated w ith D r. A . D . B lack an d w as first in stitu te d in Illinois in 1905. A t th a t tim e th e Illinois S ta te S ociety m em b ersh ip w as 274. U n d e r B la c k ’s plan th e 31
co m p o n en ts w ere u n ited in a single state w id e unit th u s increasing th e m em b ersh ip in th e S ta te S o ciety from 274 to a b o u t 1,200. F ro m 1905 to 1913, fifteen o th e r sta te s ad o p ted th e sam e plan; this p re p a re d the w ay fo r th e national o rg a n iz a tion to follow suit in 1913. A b an d o n in g our n atio n al unity an d sp lin te r ing into local in tere st g ro u p s at th is p a rtic u la r tim e will invite loss o f strength an d influence. M an y critical issu es co n fro n t the p ro fe ssio n in th e y ears im m ediately a h ead , a n d so lu tio n s lie w ithin a u n ited national o rg an izatio n guided by capable lead ers. In d iv id u als w ho are d issa tis fied w ith th e policies o r activ ities o f o rganized d e n tistry should w ork w ithin th e d em o cra tic sy stem to elect new sp o k esm en an d should n o t a tte m p t to w reck a sy stem th a t h isto ry has p ro v en to be effective. I f th e re is a fault, it is n ’t th e o r g an izatio n , it’s th e peo p le in th e o rg an izatio n . R eso lv e now to spend som e tim e talking w ith n o n m em b ers in yo u r area about th e ad v an ta g e s o f o rg anized d en tistry . C o n v in ce th e m th at th ey a re n eed ed ; th at w e w an t th e ir ideas and ta le n ts. L a stly , you m ight rem ind them o f th e ir p ro fe s sional respo n sib ility to p a rtic ip a te , b e c a u se
divided we fall. R o b ert E. D o e rr
This editorial appeared in the June 1973 issue of the Journal o f the M ichigan Dental Association. EDITORIALS / JADA, Vol. 87, O cto ber 1973 ■ 767
2. Bureau of Economic Research and Statistics: Survey of attitudes on dental licensing procedures. JADA, Decem ber 1972, 85, 6:1271. 3. News of Dentistry. JADA, December 1972, 85, 6: 1209.
1. Guidelines for licensure by Criteria approval, Minne sota State Board of Dentistry.
N orthw est D entistry or the state association of North Dakota,
This article, which appeared in the May-June 1973 issue of N orthw est Dentistry, was a talk given at the 1972 State Officers
Conference and does not necessarily represent any opinion of South Dakota, or Minnesota.
Opinion of Other Journals
. . . D i v i d e d w e fa ll ■ ■ I f an y th in g can be learn ed fro m p ast ex p e rie n c e , th e req u ire m e n t o f v ertical m em b er ship is im p o rta n t to a stro n g n atio n al o rg an iza tio n . Should a tte m p ts by c e rta in d e n tists to o v er tu rn th e p re se n t plan th a t re q u ire s m em b ersh ip at th e lo cal, sta te and national le v e ls p ro v e su c ce ssfu l, o rganized d e n tistry co u ld c o n ceiv ab ly b e d ealt a m o rtal blow . T h e A m erican S o ciety o f D e n ta l S u rg eo n s, th e A m erican D en tal C o n v e n tio n , th e first A m e ric a n D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n , an d th e S o u th ern D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n re p re se n t o rg an izatio n al a t te m p ts b e tw e e n 1840 and 1892 to form a n a tio n al den tal so ciety . N o n e o f th em p ro v id ed for m em b ersh ip in o th e r th an th e p a re n t o rg an iza tio n . In 1892 th e A m erican D e n ta l A sso ciatio n an d th e S o u th e rn D en tal A sso c ia tio n u nited to fo rm th e N a tio n a l D en tal A sso c ia tio n . T h is gro u p c o n tin u e d to be an in effectiv e sp o k esm an fo r d e n tistry until 1913 w hen a plan w as put in to effect w h ereb y a single p a y m e n t o f d u es to his local so ciety p ro v id ed a d e n tist w ith m em b e rsh ip in his lo cal, sta te and n atio n al o rg an iza tio n s. F ro m th a t d a te to 1922, w h en th e nam e w as ch an g ed to th e A m erican D e n ta l A sso c i atio n , m em b ersh ip escalated fro m a p p ro x im a te ly 1,000 to 33,000 d en tists. T h e id ea fo r v ertical m em b ersh ip a p p a re n tly o rig in ated w ith D r. A . D . B lack an d w as first in stitu te d in Illinois in 1905. A t th a t tim e th e Illinois S ta te S ociety m em b ersh ip w as 274. U n d e r B la c k ’s plan th e 31
co m p o n en ts w ere u n ited in a single state w id e unit th u s increasing th e m em b ersh ip in th e S ta te S o ciety from 274 to a b o u t 1,200. F ro m 1905 to 1913, fifteen o th e r sta te s ad o p ted th e sam e plan; this p re p a re d the w ay fo r th e national o rg a n iz a tion to follow suit in 1913. A b an d o n in g our n atio n al unity an d sp lin te r ing into local in tere st g ro u p s at th is p a rtic u la r tim e will invite loss o f strength an d influence. M an y critical issu es co n fro n t the p ro fe ssio n in th e y ears im m ediately a h ead , a n d so lu tio n s lie w ithin a u n ited national o rg an izatio n guided by capable lead ers. In d iv id u als w ho are d issa tis fied w ith th e policies o r activ ities o f o rganized d e n tistry should w ork w ithin th e d em o cra tic sy stem to elect new sp o k esm en an d should n o t a tte m p t to w reck a sy stem th a t h isto ry has p ro v en to be effective. I f th e re is a fault, it is n ’t th e o r g an izatio n , it’s th e peo p le in th e o rg an izatio n . R eso lv e now to spend som e tim e talking w ith n o n m em b ers in yo u r area about th e ad v an ta g e s o f o rg anized d en tistry . C o n v in ce th e m th at th ey a re n eed ed ; th at w e w an t th e ir ideas and ta le n ts. L a stly , you m ight rem ind them o f th e ir p ro fe s sional respo n sib ility to p a rtic ip a te , b e c a u se
divided we fall. R o b ert E. D o e rr
This editorial appeared in the June 1973 issue of the Journal o f the M ichigan Dental Association. EDITORIALS / JADA, Vol. 87, O cto ber 1973 ■ 767