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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TH E JO U R N A L d e v o te s th is s e c tio n to c o m m e n t by re a d e rs on to p ic s o f c u rre n t in te re s t to d e n tis try . T h e e d ito r re se rve s th e rig h t to e d it a ll c o m m u n ic a tio n s to f i t a v a ila b le s p a c e and re q u ire s th a t all le tte rs be s ig n e d . P rin te d c o m m u n ic a tio n s d o n o t n e c e s s a rily re fle c t th e o p in io n o r o f fic ia l p o lic y o f th e A s s o c ia tio n . Y o u r p a rtic ip a tio n in th is s e c tio n is in v ite d .
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sure the continuation of a free society, and the healthy grow th of our dental profession. Y ou have let in som e clear and brighter light with your editorials. W hether we all agree with your forth rightness is unim portant— what is im portant, how ever, is that you have m ade us think. I personally thank you fo r this, and I thank you for so many o th ers for letting us air our thoughts an d feelings. T h e growing avalanche o f letters you are now receiving is proof that o u r voices had been stilled too long. M ay you serve m any years as editor so that t h e j o u r n a l will continue to be a forum for honest dialogue. S T A N L E Y R. K O R F , D D S
O ldest study club?
F E A T U R E E D I T O R , C H IC A G O
■ I would like to m ake a suggestion about the letters section of t h e jo u r n a l
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It would be helpful if you required that any w riter w ho appends the name of a university to his signature also include his title at the school. W hen ju st the nam e of the institution is used (as by Paul A. G oldstein, N ov 1975) the read er c a n ’t tell if it is the janitor or the dean writing. On second thought, if he w ere the dean he probably would realize that continuing education is not injectable and cannot be given as an inoculation to the unwilling. T hose not participa ting in continuing education are the proper concern of state boards not educators. J A M E S T. O ’ C O N N O R , D D S G O S H E N , NY
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■ T he R ound T able D ental Study C lub, com prised of 12 practicing dentists, has been meeting for 41 co n secutive years. Each one of o u r mem bers has conducted a lecture at his hom e or office concerning dentistry or any subject th at w ould interest a practicing dentist. In 1934, these original 12 dentists started the Round T able D ental Study Club to discuss cases and problem s we encountered in our practices. As the years progressed, we included in surance, Keogh Plan, estate plan ning, and dem onstrations of new tech niques, and assisted each other dur ing any illness of a m em ber and in many other situations which served as an advantage to our group. We feel that we are the oldest and still active dental study club in exis tence in the U nited S tates, with its original 12 m em bers still active. A. A L L E N B R O T M A N , D D S
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M A P L E W O O D , NJ
■ We, the general practitioners, are saving teeth we never gave a second thought to extracting before. We are doing this with N 2 and Sargenti root canal procedures. 1 would like to see The Journal o f the A m erican D ental A ssociation com e out against the F D A and ask it not to take N i from the A m erican general dentist. Isn ’t pain control and saving teeth w hat it is all about? V I T U S S. B A R R E , J R . , DD S L I T T L E RO CK , ARK
A fre e society ■ I salute you for the courage and integrity to be an editor in deed as well as in nam e. Y our views concern ing “ letters to the ed ito r” are m arve lous gusts of fresh air. It is so good to finally see in print the unequivocal philosophy that only through a free and unfettered expres sion of ideas and opinions can we in
D E N T A L S O C IE T Y R E V I E W
A D A -AG D unity ■ I am the chairm an of the legislative com m ittee of the A cadem y of G en er al D entistry. O u r com m ittee met in W ashington this sum m er and review ed all of the legislation w hich might affect th e den tal profession th at had been intro duced into the 94th C ongress. T he academ y does have a legislative agent w ho does keep us inform ed on bills being introduced in Congress. O ur legislative agent has m aintained close liaison with H al C hristensen at the A D A ’s W ashington Office. We believe our legislative agent and M r. C h ristensen are w orking well to g eth er in the best interests of the dental profession. We also would like to state th at in our opinion the A D A W ashington Office is effective, and th e A D A is to be com plim ented for its efforts in espousing the views of the profession. O u r com m ittee was particularly pleased with the develop m ent o f the C h ild ren ’s D ental H ealth A ct and the bill to regulate the sale o f cariogenic foods in school vending m achines. Y ou might also be interested in know ing that the academ y’s board of directors has endorsed the position developed by the 1971 A D A H ouse of D elegates on national health insur ance. T he academ y is therefore willJA D A , V o l. 92, J a n u a ry 1976 ■ 2 3