Products evaluations

H ow ever, objectively, I find it hard to see any advantage in stretching 36 months of education to 45 months, with nine months o f vacation. Professional athletes attending dental school often take six or more years to complete their degree, but I rarely see a letter claiming they are more thoroughly educated. Proponents of the four-year course of study always point to the optional and mandatory “ summer sessions.” O f course, much can be gained by any addition to one’s education. But edu­ cation is a continuing process for all o f us. I am certainly in no position to make a final judgment, but I feel 36 months o f study and on eortw o “ sum­ mer session s” cannot be very super­ ior to 36 months study and nine months to a year internship, military service, or private practice. STEPH EN O. G LEN N , DDS TU LSA , OKLA

G roup seeks support m This letter is a request for your sup­ port and endorsement o f our program. A s you might already know, there are various cities throughout the U nit­ ed States that have launched and are in the process o f launching campaigns against the sugary “junk” foods that are being sold in the vending machines in our public schools. Dallas, Wash­ ington, Tampa, Bloomington, Ind, and the entire state of W est Virginia are a few o f the ones that I am familiar with. T hese localities, and now ours, are becoming increasingly concerned about the eating habits of our young­ sters. Medical evidence is mounting against refined sugar and the negative effects it has on our body and mind. Publications such as Sw eet and D a n ­ gerous, by John Yudkin, M D; Body, M ind, a n d Sugar, by E. M. Abrahamson, M D , and A . W. Pezet; Why Y our C h ild is H yperactive, by Ben F. Feingold, M D; and others are all showing that junk foods are bad for our teeth, heart, eyes, vitamin B as­ similation, and weight control. In addition, an overconsumption of sugar can promote diabetes, hypo­

glycemia, hyperactivity, as well as poor appetites and malnutrition. With this in mind and the fact that vending machine sales have risen to 5.5 billion in 1974, with over 80% going for item s low in vitamins, minerals, and protein such as soda pop, coffee, candy, confections, and chewing gum, w e see that we have quite a nutri­ tional problem on our hands. “ Citizens against junk food” would like you to send us a letter o f support to use in our campaign. This should briefly include your professional background, any documentation you may be familiar with on the diseases and problems related to eating empty calorie junk food , and why it would be beneficial to remove these from our public schools and replace them with tasty nutritious products. This issue is vital to the health of our children. Our awareness and re­ sponsibility should prompt us to act, and only a concerted communal effort will make our campaign a success. It is the informed public who must take a stand on behalf of all. Your endorse­ ment will strengthen our project and contribute to its realization. B IL L PA SSER A N E W ORLEANS

C ause o f m alpractice suits ■ The guest editorial, “ Malpractice: a household word,” by Dr. H. Wil­ liam Gilmore in the March j a d a was interesting and timely, but it left out an important aspect of the cause of many malpractice situations. I have been chairman of the dental review committee o f the Montgomery-Bucks Dental Society, one of my duties as a past-president. Many cases were instigated by other dentists tell­ ing the patient that bad or improper dentistry was done. The articles in the public press also have instilled in the patient’s mind that malpractice is the “ way to g o .” A s the editorial states, “ highly organ­ ized plaintiffs attorneys are quick to accept and sometimes encourage cases on contigency fee s.” Here dentistry has provided another means. I have coined an expression for this. I call it premeditated malpractice.

856 ■ L E TTE R S TO TH E EDITOR / JADA, V o l. 92, M ay 1976

I checked with some psychologists on why one dentist would instill in a patient’s mind that the dentistry done by another dentist is wrong. The an­ swer was that it was a way for one person to try to disprove his own in­ feriority and inadequacies and try to show that som eone else is worse than he is. And since we are all “ profes­ sionals,” it is a way to get even with another “ professional” in a legal manner. A L V IN H . A R Z T , D D S L E V IT T O W N , PA

Products evaluations m The need for consumer protection has become readily apparent in most areas of the marketplace today. The dental profession certainly cannot be excluded as an area where progress cannot be made in the protection of the dentist as a consumer. The A D A does supply the dentist with som e measure o f protection against inferior products with its test­ ing and listing of certified dental ma­ terials and devices. This listing aids us in the purchasing of materials that fit our individual tastes and require­ ments. But, is this alone filling our en­ tire need for consumer protection? Personally, I would have to say no. In light of the consumer needs of the dentist, the A D A Council on Dental Materials and D evices should expand its role in this area. I propose three areas of reorganization. Initially, it should expand its cur­ rent listing o f materials and devices to all those tested. Currently, if a prod­ uct does not appear on the list, one does not know whether it has even been tested. All one knows is that the material or device simply is not listed. Secondly, expand the role of the Council to include the testing of larg­ er devices such as chairs, units, and autoclaves. Areas such as, for exam­ ple, a product’s durability, ease and cost of maintenance, and ease of use could be ascertained. Test results could be reported in very much the same format as the consumer maga­ zine C onsum er R eports makes its evaluations. This measure would not only aid and protect the dentist but

it also should induce manufacturers to do a better job of supplying a bet­ ter product. Lastly, a seal of A D A certification should be displayed on the packaging of all materials and devices that have passed A D A testing. A s a member o f the A D A , I ask what better service can the A D A pro­ vide than the consumer protection of its members. H E R B E R T N . S L O V IS , D D S M E M P H IS

On questionnaire reply ■ In regard to your editorial in the Jan 26th A D A N ew s, I must share your amazement in the 0.7% reply. How ever, I ask m yself how did 0.7% of our membership find time to reply to such a stupid questionnaire? N ow you must have known the answers to most o f the questions be­ fore you even started. A s to virtually all the others, there are simple ways of getting the desired information. The organization committee of any of the meetings o f the various com­ ponent and constituent societies could tell you in a minute how the current demands for the scientific part of the meeting could be achieved and the subjects which the profes­ sion desires be covered. Your own housing bureau should be able to tell you at what period reservations were received and from what part o f the country they orig­ inated. Of course, location is going to be a prime factor in meeting atten­ dance. A dentist in Maine is more liable to attend a convention in Bos­ ton than San Diego. Even the loca­ tion factor, as you know, has to be modified by the small number of cities that have desirable and available ho­ tel accommodations. You know also the commercial conflicts of interest with meetings such as the Greater N ew York and the Chicago Midwinter. As to communication from the “ grass roots” , you have only to read your own publication. The grass roots are crying out to you and you either refuse or are unable to listen. In my observation there have been

two issues that have dominated “ Let­ ters to the editor” in recent years. In the reciprocity issue, you of the Chicago administration dragged your feet for years until a group o f modern oriented delegates “ boxed you in” and forced you to take positive action. The second cry, judging from these same letters, is the Sargenti root canal question. In this conflict you have all the makings of a battle which could divide the profession in much the same fashion as did the amalgam war of a century ago. For the guidance of the profession, thorough investigation and an administrative white paper is due on this subject. (I understand that there is some preliminary dia­ logue on this subject. I hope that it is not too little and not too late.) Your questionnaire did produce one positive grass-roots cry. Seventytwo percent of the answers indicated an interest in postgraduate education. I hope you recognized it. Mandatory continuing education is around the corner. I hope that you can put the proverbial horse before the cart and have a positive program developed in time. This should pro­ vide courses geared to the practition­ er in the more remote areas. These, I hope, could be made available at a moderate cost. (All dentists do not drive around country clubs in Cadil­ lacs.) There are plenty of vibrations from the grass roots. All you have to do is tune into them. E U G E N E R. B A L L , D D S N E W Y O R K C IT Y

E ducational concern ■ It has com e to my attention that a number of dental schools are provid­ ing instruction in irreversible dental procedures to their dental hygiene students, who upon graduation are certified as “ dental therapists.” These irreversible procedures in­ clude Class 1, 2, 3, 5 cavity prepara­ tion, crown preparation, as well as administration of local anesthesia. It certainly would be a great ser­ vice to the great majority of the pro­ fession (ie, general dentists) if you would evaluate this situation and take

appropriate action, as well as refer this matter to the A D A Council on Dental Education. It is my belief that the teaching of irreversible dental procedures to den­ tal hygienists or any dental auxiliaries violates the spirit and letter of the dental practice acts of all 50 United States. A R T H U R H . K U B IK IA N , D D S S I L V E R S P R IN G , M D

E d ito r’s note: The follow ing is a co m m en t by Dr. John M . Coady, A D A assistant executive director: education and hospitals.

In acknowledging your letter, the American Dental Association is aware of experimental programs for dental auxiliaries. H owever, as a point of clarification, it should be noted that there is no recognition or credentialing of a “ dental therapist” as a dental auxiliary. The A D A rec­ ognizes only three dental auxiliaries: the dental assistant, the dental hygienist, and the dental laboratory tech­ nologist. Further, no state licenses or certifies a “ dental therapist.” The Council on Dental Education is aware of the fact that experimen­ tal projects have been or are being conducted at Howard University, U niversity of Iow a, University of Kentucky, and University o f Wash­ ington, which include the teaching of “ irreversible” procedures to dental hygiene students. Other experimen­ tal programs have been conducted by the Public Health Service, as well as other institutions. Most of these proj­ ects have been reported to the A D A H ouse of D elegates through the C ouncil’s annual reports. The A D A does not oppose exper­ imentation since it is only through experimentation and research that new findings and technological ad­ vances in both the science and art of dentistry can occur. The projects to which you refer are experimental programs and are n ot training pro­ grams, except in the sense of training the original auxiliaries who are in­ volved in the experimental project. The concern of the Association is in the development o f programs which train numerous auxiliaries to perform

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