The 1937 Scientific and Health Exhibit Section

BUREAU OF PUBLIC RELATIONS A T T E N T IO N — STA TE A N D C O M P O N E N T SOCIETIES D r . C . W illa r d C a m a lier , P r e sid e n t o f th e A m e ric a n D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n , has ad op ted th e f o llo w in g slo g a n for 1 9 3 8 : D e n t a l H e a lth for A m e r ic a n Y o u th . H e and the B o a rd o f T r u s te e s o f th e A s so c ia tio n are p rep arin g a com p reh en sive program for th e c o m in g year b u ilt arou n d th is th e m e. I n th is space in the O c to b e r issu e o f T he J o u r n a l , P re sid e n t C a m a lie r ’s le tte r w ill be pu blish ed . B e p repared to cooperate w ith h im in m a k in g 1 9 3 8 a b an n er y ear in p ro m o tin g p r ev en tiv e d e n tistr y for ch ild ren . R em em b er the slo g a n : D e n ta l H e a lt h for A m e ric a n Y o u th .

TH E 1937 SCIENTIFIC A N D H E A L T H E X H IB IT SECTION B y G E O R G E B . W I N T E R , D .D .S ., St. Louis, M o .

H E B oard o f T r u s te e s o f th e A m e r ­ ican D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n has been c o n sid e r in g for som e tim e th e e n ­ la rg e m en t o f the S cien tific and H e a lth E x h ib it S ection a t th e A n n u a l Session . T h e year 1 9 3 7 w a s con sid ered an op p or­ tu n e tim e because o f the increased in te r ­ est in p u b lic h e a lth m a n ife sted b y th e A m e ric a n D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n , th e A m e r ­ ican M e d ic a l A sso c ia tio n and th e fed era l a gen cies. A la rg e a m o u n t o f v a lu a b le research w o r k in the field o f d e n tistr y is b e in g car­ ried on by u n iv er sitie s and also by in d i­ v id u a ls. I t is im p o r ta n t th a t th e r esu lts o f th is w o r k and its in flu e n c e o n th e progress in d e n tistr y be b r o u g h t im m ed i­ a te ly t o th e a tten tio n o f th e p ro fessio n .

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d en ta l research, w h ic h , so far, h a v e been qu ite rare. I t is u n d e n ia b le th a t o n e o f th e best m eans of d issem in a tin g in fo r m a tio n ab ou t d e n ta l research is th e scien tific e x ­ h ib it as presen ted at o u r a n n u a l m eetin gs. S u ch exh ib its h ave a lre a d y been h ig h ly d evelop ed and u sed e ffe c tiv e ly by the A m e ric a n M e d ic a l A s so c ia tio n . O n e of

T h e pu blic, too, sh o u ld be in fo r m ed so th a t it m ay r e a liz e th e grea t a d v a n ce ­ m e n t b e in g m a d e in d e n ta l scien ce. F u r ­ th erm ore, ex h ib its sh o u ld o ffer an e x c e l­ le n t m ean s o f p r o m o tin g e n d o w m e n ts for

the m ain reasons th a t o u r scien tific e x ­ h ib its have n o t b een su ffic ien tly develop ed in th e p ast is th e fa c t th a t, u su a lly , fa c ili­ ties fo r h o ld in g su ch e x h ib its w e r e in ad e­ qu ate. E x h ib it sp ace in N e w O r le a n s w as lim ite d . T h e sam e w a s tr u e at San F r a n ­ cisco. In a d d itio n , tr a n sp o rta tio n costs kept m an y exh ib itors fr o m p a rticip a tin g at both o f th ose c o n v e n tio n s. T h e co n ­ v e n tio n fa c ilitie s at A tla n t ic C ity this year w e r e id eal and th e S cien tific and H e a lth E x h ib it w a s th e la rg e st and finest th a t the A m erica n D e n t a l A sso c ia tio n has ev er had. B eca u se o u r m e e tin g w a s held

Jour. A .D .A . & D. Cos., Vol. 24, September 1937

1542

Bureau of Public Relations in w h a t is probab ly th e la rg e st d e n ta l c en ter in th e w o r ld , it w a s possible to secu re ex h ib its even from ex h ib ito rs to w h o m tr a n sp o rta tio n costs w e r e a v e ry im p o r ta n t item . B esid es, w e had th e la rg e st au d ito riu m in w h ic h w e h ave ever h eld a m eetin g , the floor space for s e ttin g up th e ex h ib its b e in g com p arab le in size to a fo o tb a ll field . S in ce w e had m ore space th an w a s needed, no e x h ib ito r w a s lim ite d eith er in space or fr o n ta g e ; w h ic h m ad e it possible for every e x h ib it to be d isp layed to the best ad v a n ta g e. W h e n co n sid e r in g in v ita tio n s in the fu tu r e from cities th a t w ish to act as ou r hosts, seriou s stu d y sh o u ld be g iv e n to th e fa c ilitie s a v a ila b le fo r th e S c ien tific an d H e a lt h E x h ib it S ection . T a k in g fu ll a d v a n ta g e o f th e e x c e lle n t fa c ilitie s ava ila b le this year, th e B o a r d o f T r u s te e s sta rted a cam p aign to secure as m a n y w o r th -w h ile p resen ta tio n s as p o s­ sib le. T h e tim e ly th em e for th e m e e tin g ch osen by the P resid en t, D r . M in e r , “ P r e v e n tiv e D e n tis tr y in th e In te r e s t o f H e a lt h ,” w a s one th a t le n t itse lf to th e d e v e lo p m en t o f in te r e stin g ex h ib its. H is p lan o f p e r m ittin g the g e n e ra l p u b lic to v ie w th e exh ib its w a s also e x c e lle n t, as it h elp ed p rom ote pop u lar in te re st in d e n ta l h e a lth . U n d e r th e able d irectio n o f L o n W . M o r r e y , D ir e c to r o f E x h ib its ; F r a n k J . H o u g h to n , C h airm an o f th e E x h ib its C o m m itte e o f th e L o c a l A r r a n g e m e n ts C o m m itte e , and th e c o m m itte e ap p oin ted by t h e B o a rd o f T r u ste e s, th e c o u n tr y w a s com b ed for w o r th -w h ile sc ien tific and d e n ta l h ealth exhibits. V ie w e d from the b alcon y o f the A u d i­ to r iu m , the e x h ib it sectio n p resen ted a p ictu re o f w h ic h d e n tistr y can w e ll be proud. D e n ta l scien ce and ed u ca tio n b oth p la y ed an im p o r ta n t p art in th e p resen ta tio n s. W e ll-a r r a n g e d graphs, d iagram s, m o d e ls and oth er m a ter ia ls to ld m ore v iv id ly and c o n v in c in g ly th a n

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w o r d s the story o f a d v a n ce m e n t in both fields. A lso , th e y w e r e a c o n v in c in g a r g u m e n t in fa v o r o f fu tu r e d ev elo p m en t o f th is sectio n because th e story o f p rog­ ress in research w o r k as w e ll as in d en ta l ed u ca tio n w a s so v iv id ly p ortrayed . A il in a tten d a n ce c o u ld v ie w the e x ­ hibits at th eir co n v e n ien ce as the booths w e re open th r o u g h o u t th e e n tire m eetin g. T h e fu tu re sh o u ld see a g r o w th o f in te r ­ e st in exh ib its, if for n o o th e r reason than th a t a ll can gain fu ll b en efit fr o m th em at th eir leisu re. C lin ics or papers necessarily have o n ly a lim ite d au d ien ce because m an y o f them are g iv en sim u lta n e o u sly and c a n n o t be rep eated. M a n y people w h o v ie w e d the e x h ib its o n t h e o p en in g day retu rn ed again and a g a in to rev iew th em u n til the close on F rid a y . S om e m em b ers o f the A sso c ia tio n b e lie v e th a t p rop erly prepared scien tific and h ea lth ex h ib its and table clin ics are even m ore v a lu a b le than essays an d lec tu r e clin ics because the la tte r are p resen ted o n ly o n c e ; w h erea s all h ave an o p p o rtu n ity to stu d y th e exh ib its and tab le c lin ic s at th eir co n ­ v e n ien ce and to retu rn to ch eck facts, take n otes an d ask q u estion s. N o on e cou ld fa il to be im pressed w ith th e en th u siasm o f the e x h ib ito rs an d their desire to assist th eir au d ien ce so th at th e g r ea te st possible good c o u ld be gained from th e p resen tation s. E v e n th e pu blic, w h o w ere n ot p a r ticu la r ly in terested in th e ex h ib it su b ject m a tter , w e re im pressed w ith th e size, a rra n g em e n t an d d ecora­ tiv e effect. T h e exh ib its w e re so w e ll arran ged and g rou p ed th a t they w e re p le a sin g to the eye in d iv id u a lly and as a w h o le . I t is hoped th a t fu tu r e exh ib it sectio n s m ay be so e n la rg e d th a t it w ill be possible to arran ge th e ex h ib its ac­ c o rd in g to su b ject m a tter. T h e c o m m itte e w a s fo r tu n a te in secu r­ in g su ch a la rg e nu m b er o f ex h ib its in a ll field s th a t each m em b er and v isito r c o u ld find tim ely, w e ll-d e v e lo p e d m ate-

The Journal of the American Dental Association

Scientific and Health Exhibit and Commercial Exhibits at the Seventy-Ninth Annual Session of the American Dental Association, Atlantic City, N. J., July 12-16, 1937.

1544 and The Dental Cosmos

Bureau of Public Relations rial in an y field in w h ic h he w a s in ter­ ested . H o w e v e r , a ll ex h ib its w e r e so w e ll prepared th a t each w a s o f in te r e st n ot o n ly to sp ecialists in th a t p a r ticu la r field, bu t also to th e gen eral p ra ctitio n er, and to the p u b lic as w e ll. M em b er s o f the A m e ric a n D e n ta l A sso c ia tio n c a n fe el gratified by th e fa ct th a t each e x h ib ito r p lan n ed his m a teria l w ith su ch care th a t it w a s both a rtistic and sc ie n tific a lly ac­ cu rate. A l l p resen ta tio n s w e r e o b v io u sly th e resu lt o f m u ch th o u g h t, w o r k and p lan n in g. I t w a s the g en era l op in ion th a t the S cien tific and H e a lth E x h ib it S e c tio n w a s an o u tsta n d in g fea tu re o f this y e a r ’s m e e tin g and th a t if it had n o t been d e v e l­ oped to the size th a t it a tta in e d , the m e e tin g m ig h t have been far less su ccess­ fu l th a n it w as. G r e a t in terest w a s sh o w n in th e M o ­ tio n P ic tu r e S ection , b u t the r esu lts w e re so m e w h a t d isa p p o in tin g because th e screen in gs w e re n o t h a n d le d w ith as m u ch disp atch as th e y sh o u ld h ave been. H o w e v e r , it w a s n o t d ecid ed u n til a very sh o rt tim e p rior to th e c o n v e n tio n to sh o w m o tio n p ictu res and adequ ate prep­ aration s c o u ld n o t be m ade. I t w a s th e con sen su s o f o p in io n th at m ore in terest w a s sh o w n in th is y e a r ’s scien tific and tech n ica l p resen tation s th a n ever b efore. T h e g en era l p u b lic took fu ll ad v a n ta g e o f the in v ita tio n to v ie w the p resen ta tio n s and seem ed g e n u in ely in terested .

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T h a t th e e x h ib it th is year interested th e g en era l p u b lic as w e ll as the den tists and th eir w iv e s, th e h y g ien ists and the d e n ta l assistan ts is g r a tify in g to all w h o had a p art in its p la n n in g . T h is in terest d em o n stra ted th a t e x h ib its can be an e f ­ fe ctiv e m ean s o f e d u c a tin g th e p u b lic on the r elation sh ip o f d e n tistr y to p u b lic h ealth an d offers an o p p o rtu n ity to give them a b etter co n cep tio n o f th e w o r k o f th e profession . A t its la st m eetin g , the A m erican M e d ic a l A sso c ia tio n fille d th e en tire e x ­ h ib it sectio n o f th e A tla n tic C ity C o n v e n ­ tion H a ll. T h is w e fa ile d to do, b u t w e did exp an d and en la rg e o u r exh ib it sec­ tio n so th a t w e had o v er five tim es as m a n y exh ib its as in 1 9 3 6 . T h e r e is no reason th a t w e sh o u ld n o t, in the fu tu re, have as la rg e a scien tific and h ealth e x ­ hib it section as th e A m e r ic a n M e d ic a l A sso cia tio n , since d e n tistr y len d s itse lf even b etter to v isu a l p resen tation than does m ed icin e. A l l th a t is necessary to im p rove the e x h ib it section for 1 9 3 8 is to arouse the in terest o f th ose w h o have m aterial to presen t so th a t th ey w ill c o n trib u te the large, b u t essen tia l, a m o u n t o f tim e, effort, stu d y and exp en se req uired to develop good m a ter ia l. T h e p r e se n ta tio n o f su p e ­ rior e x h ib its is u n d e n ia b ly an e x c e lle n t w a y o f se r v in g and a d v a n cin g th e n a tio n a l o r g a n iza tio n and fu r th e r in g th e progress o f th e p rofession . S u re ly it w ill n ot be a difficut task to arouse such in terest.

D E P A R T M E N T OF O R A L HYGIENE C IN C IN N A T I PU B LIC SCHOOLS H E first d e n ta l c lin ic in C in c in n a ti, O h io , w a s op en ed in 1 9 1 0 , w it h one fu ll-tim e chair. T h e co st o f eq u ip ­ p in g and o p e r a tin g th e c lin ic w a s b orn e by th e C in c in n a ti D e n ta l S o c iety an d c o n ­

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trib u tors w h o w e r e so licite d by the m e m ­ bers. T h e service w a s in creased to th ree chairs in 191 2 , w h e n p art o f the expense w a s m et by th e c ity . T h e service w a s g r a d u a lly increased u n til, in 1 9 1 9 , there