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The Council on Dental Therapeutics
The Journal of the American Dental Association 212 E. S uperior St., Chicago, Illinois
C. N . J o h n s o n , E d ito r Published by the A m erican D en tal A ssociation A ll expressions of opinions and all statem ents of supposed facts a re published on the a u th o rity of the w rite r o v e r w hose sig n a tu re they a p p ea r, and a re not to be re g a rd e d as expressing the view s of the A m erican D e n tal A ssociation, unless such statem ents o r opinions h av e been adopted by the A ssociation. C om m unications intended fo r publication in the scientific o r lite ra ry pages of T h e J ournal should be addressed to the E d ito r. A ll a d v e rtis in g o r business m atters should be sent to the Business M a n a g er. Subscription is included in the a n n u al m em bership dues. T o nonm em bers liv in g in the U nited States or its possessions, the price is $2.50 a y e a r in a d v an c e; C anada, $3.00; A u stra lia , $4.00; other countries, $3.25. A ll fo reig n subscriptions are to be paid in U nited States money.
Editorial THE CO U N CIL O N DEN TAL THERAPEUTICS In 1927, the Board of Trustees and the House of Delegates initiated a movement to establish a council on dental therapeutics for the better protection of the profession and the public against questionable methods and spurious proprietary preparations that were flooding the market to the detriment of the citizens of our country. Preparatory to the establishment of the Council, a chemist was employed to investigate various products, and reports were made in T h e J o u r n a l . Owing to limitations of space in the office of the American Dental Association, the chemist did his work in the laboratory of the American Medical Association, a courtesy which was greatly appreciated by our organization. The first report appeared in October, 1928, and, following this, a monthly report has been issued with praiseworthy regularity. In 1929, the Council on Dental Therapeutics was organized, consisting of ten men, five 946
Editorial Department
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nondental members and five dental members, the former made up of scientists from different sections of the country. W e should like to give expression on this occasion to the keen appreciation which we feel is due every nondental member of the Council for the altruistic and painstaking devotion of these splen did men in an enterprise which has for its object the elevation of our professional status. The Council has given much time and effort to the consummation of an excellent piece of work, and while such might naturally be expected of our dental members, we have the very inspiring spectacle of those following another calling devoting themselves whole-heartedly to an enterprise which can have no tinge of selfishness and no ulterior motive. It is a pleasure to pay this tribute to the Council at this time. It would hardly be expected that, in a new movement of this kind, there would be an entire absence of misconception or mis interpretation of authority between the executive bodies of the Association and the Council. At a meeting of the Board of Trus tees in January, 1930, for instance, the following resolutions were adopted: RESOLUTIONS
T h a t, a fte r J u ly 1, 1930, advertising o f prop rietary remedies in T h e J o u r n a l w ill not be accepted unless th e product and advertising have been accepted by the Council, except in such cases as existing contracts legally obligate the Association to continue advertising copy u n til the conclusion of th e contract. T h a t the Business M a n a g e r be advised n o t to accept fo r exhibit in the com m ercial exhibit p ro prietary remedies w hich are not acceptable to the Council on D en ta l T h erap eu tics on and a fte r 1931, and th a t, after 1931, jo u rn a ls carrying advertising m a tte r relative to products n o t acceptable to this C ouncil shall n ot be accepted as exhibitors. N o paper endorsing or introducing a new rem edy w ill be accepted by T h e u n til the Council shall exam ine th e evidence subm itted and publish a pre lim inary report. Jou rn al
It is only proper to say that this led to an assumption of authority on the part of certain members of the Council that was hardly warranted, nor was it consistent with the intent or the prerogatives of the Trustees. It at once placed an arbitrary dic tatorship over the advertising in T h e JOURNAL that threatened to work an unjustifiable hardship on some of our advertisers. This
948
T h e Journal of the American Dental Association
whole question of advertising requires a sane adjustment, to the end that while we aim for a much needed reform, we do not at the same time work an injustice on any honorable man. W e must try to take cognizance of the need of the closest scrutiny of our pro prietary products, but we must not proceed on the assumption that every manufacturer or dealer is an arrant rascal, and needs only a club on the head to suppress him. There are just as honorable men in the manufacturing interests as there are in our professional ranks, and our function is to try as best we may to winnow the wheat from the chaff. As rapidly as we can, we are eliminating objectionable advertising, and the authority for doing that must be placed squarely where it belongs, and where it will do the greatest good with the least danger of harm. In consonance with this, the following action by the Board of Trustees at its meeting February 2, 1931, will clarify the issue: RESOLUTIONS
W herea s: T h e re has developed some confusion regarding the acceptance of advertising in T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r i c a n D e n t a l A s s o c i a t i o n , and W herea s: T h e acceptance or rejection of advertising in connection w ith p ro p rietary preparations such as tooth-pastes, m outh washes, etc., is an im p o rtan t m atter, and dem ands the m ost careful consideration, and W hereas: T h e B oard of T ru stees, in its desire to p rotect the profession from h arm ful products and unscrupulous dealers, does n ot w ish to w o rk a hardship on any reputable m anufacturer, therefore be it R esolved: T h a t the Business M a n ag e r be instructed to confer w ith the Council on D en ta l T herap eu tics w hen questionable advertising of a proprietary p ro d u ct is subm itted, and on evidence th a t it is h arm fu l, or th a t the advertisem ent is grossly m isleading in its statem ents, the Business M a n ag e r shall request the m an u factu rer to correct the h arm fu l n atu re of the product or m odify the statem ents in the advertise m ent to bring them w ith in the requirem ents of th e B oard of T ru stees, and in case the request is not com plied w ith , th e Business M a n ag e r is instructed to reje ct th e advertisem ent. A m e n d m e n t: W h e n a report is published, the p roduct on the m ark et a t the present tim e shall be examined.
These resolutions were passed to take the place of those en acted in January, 1930, and it is confidently believed that they will accomplish two things: they will give every advertiser an oppor tunity to reform his product and his advertising in conformity with the requirements of the Association instead of summarily refusing
Editorial Department
949
our advertisements without giving the advertiser his “ day in court” ; and they will also place the responsibility for advertising in the Board of Trustees where it rightly belongs. The Board invites the most cordial cooperation of the Council, fully conscious of the fact that it needs its aid, but the assumption of authority for the conduct of T h e J o u r n a l must not be usurped by any other body than the Trustees. This does not mean that the advertisers are not to be held to the strictest accountability in the claims made for their products, or that the Council on Dental Therapeutics is not empowered to pass on proprietary preparations, but that there is to be a more equitable approach toward the entire question to the end that reputable manufacturers may have the benefit of whole-hearted consultation in their problems and a reasonable adjustment of their differences. In other words, what we most need is constructive and helpful effort instead of a continual policy of irritating and unnecessary criticism. This Association will go steadily forward only through the agency of equity and fair dealing, with reform as our chief m o t i f and with revolutionary methods only as they are needed for disciplinary and corrective effect. While we should hold every man rigidly to the requirements in any regulation of our products, we should always aim to temper our judgments with consideration and tolerance. And we venture to believe that this policy will stand the test in every activity of life.
C. N . J o h n s o n , E d ito r Published by the A m erican D en tal A ssociation A ll expressions of opinions and all statem ents of supposed facts a re published on the a u th o rity of the w rite r o v e r w hose sig n a tu re they a p p ea r, and a re not to be re g a rd e d as expressing the view s of the A m erican D e n tal A ssociation, unless such statem ents o r opinions h av e been adopted by the A ssociation. C om m unications intended fo r publication in the scientific o r lite ra ry pages of T h e J ournal should be addressed to the E d ito r. A ll a d v e rtis in g o r business m atters should be sent to the Business M a n a g er. Subscription is included in the a n n u al m em bership dues. T o nonm em bers liv in g in the U nited States or its possessions, the price is $2.50 a y e a r in a d v an c e; C anada, $3.00; A u stra lia , $4.00; other countries, $3.25. A ll fo reig n subscriptions are to be paid in U nited States money.
Editorial THE CO U N CIL O N DEN TAL THERAPEUTICS In 1927, the Board of Trustees and the House of Delegates initiated a movement to establish a council on dental therapeutics for the better protection of the profession and the public against questionable methods and spurious proprietary preparations that were flooding the market to the detriment of the citizens of our country. Preparatory to the establishment of the Council, a chemist was employed to investigate various products, and reports were made in T h e J o u r n a l . Owing to limitations of space in the office of the American Dental Association, the chemist did his work in the laboratory of the American Medical Association, a courtesy which was greatly appreciated by our organization. The first report appeared in October, 1928, and, following this, a monthly report has been issued with praiseworthy regularity. In 1929, the Council on Dental Therapeutics was organized, consisting of ten men, five 946
Editorial Department
947
nondental members and five dental members, the former made up of scientists from different sections of the country. W e should like to give expression on this occasion to the keen appreciation which we feel is due every nondental member of the Council for the altruistic and painstaking devotion of these splen did men in an enterprise which has for its object the elevation of our professional status. The Council has given much time and effort to the consummation of an excellent piece of work, and while such might naturally be expected of our dental members, we have the very inspiring spectacle of those following another calling devoting themselves whole-heartedly to an enterprise which can have no tinge of selfishness and no ulterior motive. It is a pleasure to pay this tribute to the Council at this time. It would hardly be expected that, in a new movement of this kind, there would be an entire absence of misconception or mis interpretation of authority between the executive bodies of the Association and the Council. At a meeting of the Board of Trus tees in January, 1930, for instance, the following resolutions were adopted: RESOLUTIONS
T h a t, a fte r J u ly 1, 1930, advertising o f prop rietary remedies in T h e J o u r n a l w ill not be accepted unless th e product and advertising have been accepted by the Council, except in such cases as existing contracts legally obligate the Association to continue advertising copy u n til the conclusion of th e contract. T h a t the Business M a n a g e r be advised n o t to accept fo r exhibit in the com m ercial exhibit p ro prietary remedies w hich are not acceptable to the Council on D en ta l T h erap eu tics on and a fte r 1931, and th a t, after 1931, jo u rn a ls carrying advertising m a tte r relative to products n o t acceptable to this C ouncil shall n ot be accepted as exhibitors. N o paper endorsing or introducing a new rem edy w ill be accepted by T h e u n til the Council shall exam ine th e evidence subm itted and publish a pre lim inary report. Jou rn al
It is only proper to say that this led to an assumption of authority on the part of certain members of the Council that was hardly warranted, nor was it consistent with the intent or the prerogatives of the Trustees. It at once placed an arbitrary dic tatorship over the advertising in T h e JOURNAL that threatened to work an unjustifiable hardship on some of our advertisers. This
948
T h e Journal of the American Dental Association
whole question of advertising requires a sane adjustment, to the end that while we aim for a much needed reform, we do not at the same time work an injustice on any honorable man. W e must try to take cognizance of the need of the closest scrutiny of our pro prietary products, but we must not proceed on the assumption that every manufacturer or dealer is an arrant rascal, and needs only a club on the head to suppress him. There are just as honorable men in the manufacturing interests as there are in our professional ranks, and our function is to try as best we may to winnow the wheat from the chaff. As rapidly as we can, we are eliminating objectionable advertising, and the authority for doing that must be placed squarely where it belongs, and where it will do the greatest good with the least danger of harm. In consonance with this, the following action by the Board of Trustees at its meeting February 2, 1931, will clarify the issue: RESOLUTIONS
W herea s: T h e re has developed some confusion regarding the acceptance of advertising in T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r i c a n D e n t a l A s s o c i a t i o n , and W herea s: T h e acceptance or rejection of advertising in connection w ith p ro p rietary preparations such as tooth-pastes, m outh washes, etc., is an im p o rtan t m atter, and dem ands the m ost careful consideration, and W hereas: T h e B oard of T ru stees, in its desire to p rotect the profession from h arm ful products and unscrupulous dealers, does n ot w ish to w o rk a hardship on any reputable m anufacturer, therefore be it R esolved: T h a t the Business M a n ag e r be instructed to confer w ith the Council on D en ta l T herap eu tics w hen questionable advertising of a proprietary p ro d u ct is subm itted, and on evidence th a t it is h arm fu l, or th a t the advertisem ent is grossly m isleading in its statem ents, the Business M a n ag e r shall request the m an u factu rer to correct the h arm fu l n atu re of the product or m odify the statem ents in the advertise m ent to bring them w ith in the requirem ents of th e B oard of T ru stees, and in case the request is not com plied w ith , th e Business M a n ag e r is instructed to reje ct th e advertisem ent. A m e n d m e n t: W h e n a report is published, the p roduct on the m ark et a t the present tim e shall be examined.
These resolutions were passed to take the place of those en acted in January, 1930, and it is confidently believed that they will accomplish two things: they will give every advertiser an oppor tunity to reform his product and his advertising in conformity with the requirements of the Association instead of summarily refusing
Editorial Department
949
our advertisements without giving the advertiser his “ day in court” ; and they will also place the responsibility for advertising in the Board of Trustees where it rightly belongs. The Board invites the most cordial cooperation of the Council, fully conscious of the fact that it needs its aid, but the assumption of authority for the conduct of T h e J o u r n a l must not be usurped by any other body than the Trustees. This does not mean that the advertisers are not to be held to the strictest accountability in the claims made for their products, or that the Council on Dental Therapeutics is not empowered to pass on proprietary preparations, but that there is to be a more equitable approach toward the entire question to the end that reputable manufacturers may have the benefit of whole-hearted consultation in their problems and a reasonable adjustment of their differences. In other words, what we most need is constructive and helpful effort instead of a continual policy of irritating and unnecessary criticism. This Association will go steadily forward only through the agency of equity and fair dealing, with reform as our chief m o t i f and with revolutionary methods only as they are needed for disciplinary and corrective effect. While we should hold every man rigidly to the requirements in any regulation of our products, we should always aim to temper our judgments with consideration and tolerance. And we venture to believe that this policy will stand the test in every activity of life.