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The Benefits of a Dental Assistants’ Society
THE BENEFITS OF A DENTAL ASSISTANTS’ SOCIETY
By HEDW IG A . KIETZM ANN, I Burlington, Iowa
(Read before the Dental Assistants’ Section of the Iowa State Dental Society, Des Moines, Iowa, May 2-5, 1921)
OM EONE has said we gain a per son’s friendship by service. One of the main reasons for organizing the society is for service—better service to your employer and better service to hu manity. The purpose is to give and ex change ideas and methods so that we may become more efficient. We are helping our fellow-members to learn ways and means of giving better service and in re turn gaining new ideas from them. There is much good derived from the exchanging of ideas. We learn helps, little time savers from one another, for example, the cutting of gold foil. The method in our office was to take one sheet at a time, fold together, and cut in de sired sizes. When it had to be separated the majority of pieces stuck together. At the state meeting we learned that by put ting a sheet of tissue paper between the leaves of gold, it did away with the stick ing. Just this one item has been a very decided time saver in our office, and there are many such instances. Then, too, sociability plays a large part in an organization of this kind. T his was demonstrated by the visiting the assistants did among themselves at the meetings. To me sociability of thought is a great factor. I do not think
S
'Associated with Drs. Chapman and Dana, Burlington, Iowa.
any one of us likes to accept ideas or learn from those who are not in sympathy with our ideas or purposes. And of course we are all here for one purpose, that of becoming a more efficient assist ant. Some believe there can be no benefit derived when a dentist demonstrates an assistant’s duties at the chair, for each operator works differently. Certainly they all work differently; if all worked alike there would be no need of dental meetings. None of you would join a study club if the same subject were dis cussed at each meeting. You have joined for the purpose of broadening your mind. The same applies to this organization for dental assistants. It would be foolish to come many miles to see your own em ployer’s methods performed by another practitioner. Learn what others require of their assistants; then closely observe the proceedings in your own operating room to see where you can be of more help. Shakespeare said: “There are books in the running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything.” If. we only will there is always a chance to learn something and if we come to these meet ings with that determination we are sure to return having gained something. At the meeting in Cedar Rapids last May no smaller societies in the state were
Endélman—Radiographie Interpretation reported organized. Since then there are one district society, the South Eastern Iowa, and three city organizations, at Des Moines, Sioux City, and Burlington. A few months ago the Burlington Den tal Assistants’ Society included in its membership the assistants of the prac titioners of the city with one exception^ Today there is no exception. This is an argument in itself. If there were no ben efits derived there would not be so much
945
interest and enthusiasm. The Burlington assistants are also members of the South Eastern Iowa. There is great interest shown in both societies. We have poured models, invested inlays, discussed sterili^ tio n and novocain preparation and many other things equally useful. And as far as I know Iowa is the only state in, the ,Union that has an assistants’ section in the state dental society. Let us make it a success. Op,
V
RADIOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION1 By JULIO ENDELMAN, M.S., D.D.S., F.A.C.D.
If it were possible to propound to every member of the dental profession the question as to which of various factors had been the most potent in drawing a tight line of demarcation between good and bad dentistry, we are inclined to prophesy that radiography would head ti e list with a respectable majority. It is ¡ntevesting in this connection to note th
the tottering foundation upon which are built diagnoses, at times, leading to the ruthless sacrifice of teeth. Instances have come under our observation in which the diagnosis of “dental granulomata” has been arrived at exclusively upon the evidence of a shadow in the neighborhood of teeth containing vital pulps. Likewise we know of cases in which teeth affected with a moderate de gree of some form of pyorrhea alveolaris have been ordered extracted for the cure of a systemic involvement which had existed years before the advent of the dental affection. The interpretation of dental radiograms is by no means a matter of such simplicity as some are prone to have us assume and, further, any attempt at diagnosing mouth condi tions on the basis of radiography and at the exclusion of other helps available in
By HEDW IG A . KIETZM ANN, I Burlington, Iowa
(Read before the Dental Assistants’ Section of the Iowa State Dental Society, Des Moines, Iowa, May 2-5, 1921)
OM EONE has said we gain a per son’s friendship by service. One of the main reasons for organizing the society is for service—better service to your employer and better service to hu manity. The purpose is to give and ex change ideas and methods so that we may become more efficient. We are helping our fellow-members to learn ways and means of giving better service and in re turn gaining new ideas from them. There is much good derived from the exchanging of ideas. We learn helps, little time savers from one another, for example, the cutting of gold foil. The method in our office was to take one sheet at a time, fold together, and cut in de sired sizes. When it had to be separated the majority of pieces stuck together. At the state meeting we learned that by put ting a sheet of tissue paper between the leaves of gold, it did away with the stick ing. Just this one item has been a very decided time saver in our office, and there are many such instances. Then, too, sociability plays a large part in an organization of this kind. T his was demonstrated by the visiting the assistants did among themselves at the meetings. To me sociability of thought is a great factor. I do not think
S
'Associated with Drs. Chapman and Dana, Burlington, Iowa.
any one of us likes to accept ideas or learn from those who are not in sympathy with our ideas or purposes. And of course we are all here for one purpose, that of becoming a more efficient assist ant. Some believe there can be no benefit derived when a dentist demonstrates an assistant’s duties at the chair, for each operator works differently. Certainly they all work differently; if all worked alike there would be no need of dental meetings. None of you would join a study club if the same subject were dis cussed at each meeting. You have joined for the purpose of broadening your mind. The same applies to this organization for dental assistants. It would be foolish to come many miles to see your own em ployer’s methods performed by another practitioner. Learn what others require of their assistants; then closely observe the proceedings in your own operating room to see where you can be of more help. Shakespeare said: “There are books in the running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything.” If. we only will there is always a chance to learn something and if we come to these meet ings with that determination we are sure to return having gained something. At the meeting in Cedar Rapids last May no smaller societies in the state were
Endélman—Radiographie Interpretation reported organized. Since then there are one district society, the South Eastern Iowa, and three city organizations, at Des Moines, Sioux City, and Burlington. A few months ago the Burlington Den tal Assistants’ Society included in its membership the assistants of the prac titioners of the city with one exception^ Today there is no exception. This is an argument in itself. If there were no ben efits derived there would not be so much
945
interest and enthusiasm. The Burlington assistants are also members of the South Eastern Iowa. There is great interest shown in both societies. We have poured models, invested inlays, discussed sterili^ tio n and novocain preparation and many other things equally useful. And as far as I know Iowa is the only state in, the ,Union that has an assistants’ section in the state dental society. Let us make it a success. Op,
V
RADIOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION1 By JULIO ENDELMAN, M.S., D.D.S., F.A.C.D.
If it were possible to propound to every member of the dental profession the question as to which of various factors had been the most potent in drawing a tight line of demarcation between good and bad dentistry, we are inclined to prophesy that radiography would head ti e list with a respectable majority. It is ¡ntevesting in this connection to note th
the tottering foundation upon which are built diagnoses, at times, leading to the ruthless sacrifice of teeth. Instances have come under our observation in which the diagnosis of “dental granulomata” has been arrived at exclusively upon the evidence of a shadow in the neighborhood of teeth containing vital pulps. Likewise we know of cases in which teeth affected with a moderate de gree of some form of pyorrhea alveolaris have been ordered extracted for the cure of a systemic involvement which had existed years before the advent of the dental affection. The interpretation of dental radiograms is by no means a matter of such simplicity as some are prone to have us assume and, further, any attempt at diagnosing mouth condi tions on the basis of radiography and at the exclusion of other helps available in