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Urges personalized services
E x tra c tin g a b sc e s se d te e th m In the January issu e o f T h e J o u rn a l, I read the report about D r. Matthias J. H ourigan’s scientific talk (page 45) dealing w ith acutely ab scessed teeth. A s far back as 1933 at the C on ey Island H osp ital, the late D r. Zm ethius extracted acutely infected teeth. In jectio n s m any tim es w ere m ade into the a b scessed area. T here was never a spread o f infection, only unevent ful healing. In 1943 I gave a talk at the conjoint m eeting o f the A D A and the A M A on the “ Im portance o f im m ediate extrac tio n s.” D e n ta l S u rv e y published it in letter form . In 1948, the In te rn a tio n a l J o u rn a l o f A n e s th e s ia published it, plus an other o n e, “ E xtractions and preg n a n cy .” In th o se days, antibiotic w as an un know n m edication. EM ANUEL F ISC H O FF, DDS PHILA D ELPH IA
U rg es p e rs o n a liz e d services m In resp on se to your January j a d a editorial, I w ish to offer the following: I feel that you have hit upon a very im portant topic. A s a very active m em ber o f m y local com ponent, I have seen a m ove aw ay from organ ized dentistry. T h e feeling is that the A D A no longer represents the feelings or fulfills the n eeds o f the average “ w et finger” dentist. M embership has becom e a problem and w ill get w orse. E ven m ore frightening is the apathy w hich exists throughout the local com p onen ts. I f not for th ose dedicated few , w e w ould have no functioning at all. M any o f m y colleagues say either “ w hy b elon g” or “ w hat is the A sso c iation doing for m e ,” and you are now realizing this problem on the national level and that is to be applauded. H o w ev er, w ords are often forgotten w hen they are n ot follow ed by action. I propose that w e set up a staff to deal with personalized mem bership ser v ices. If you set up another council, you w ill be w asting your time. H ire
som eon e w ho cares about dentists and their problem s and give him a staff to do som ething about it, and you will see the results in a short per iod o f time. T he reason that I am writing this letter is b eca u se I see a real need for th ese serv ices and a staff w ho will be available to provide them . In fact, I feel so strongly about this that I would be willing to serve in any w ay to see your id eas com e to fruition. DAVID L. RAUCHER, DDS H O W ELL, NJ
■ “ Right o n ” with your January 1977 editorial. T h e list o f personal and specialized serv ices that the A D A could offer m em bers is lim ited only by im agination. M y only suggestion w ould be that th ey be essentially selfsupporting, but not overly profit making. I w ould like to com m ent on several o f the services already available. I periodically purchase the A D A pub lication titled A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s , w hich is apparently now a biannual publication. I have had the 36th edition (1975/76) for at least a year and a half and noted that it w as pub lished in January 1975. W hen I saw a full page ad in the D ecem b er 1976 Jo u rn a l, advertising the “ n ew ” A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tics, I almost ordered it, until I noticed the 1975/76 dates. I assum ed that the D ecem b er ad w as a last shot effort to clear the inventory. Y et later, the January 1977 issu e o f T h e J o u rn a l also carried a full-page ad, still trying to sell the 1975/ 76 publication. M y question would be: W hen will the 1977/78 (37th edi tion) be published? If the new edition w ill be published and available within the next few m onths, then I would protest th e A D A ’s trying to unload the old 1975/76 edition. If the A D A is overstock ed with A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s that are now outdated, I have a suggestion as to what they can do w ith t h e m . . . . N o , you guessed w rong, m y suggestion is constructive. P ick at random A D A m em bers w ho are in their seco n d or third year o f A D A m em bership, w hen they are beginning to have to pay full dues, are beginning loan repaym ent, and have b een out o f sch ool for a few
606 ■ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / JADA, Vol. 94, A pril 1977
years, and g iv e them the n ew ly out dated publication. A little note along w ith th e b ook co u ld explain that this w as a sam ple o f the many services the A D A provides its m em bers, and then list som e or all o f the services provided m em bers. I b elieve they w ould appreciate the b ook , the cost w ould be minimal, and m any w ould purchase future editions. O ne last com m ent. I have regularly u sed the A D A appointm ent books, and didn’t mind the 20% increase in c o st, to $5.95 for the 1977 book. N o w I se e that the A D A 1978 appointment b ook w ill c o st $10. Is this b ook a ser v ic e for A D A m em bers, or is it a highprofit item only? I noticed an ad from a w ell-know n nationw ide com pany, for a com parable appointm ent book at $4.50 for 1 9 7 8 .1s the A D A book really w orth more than tw ice as much? Per haps im proved services for A D A m em bers could start with a review o f existin g services. I w ill end by com plim enting you on the selectio n and quality o f the “ Orig inal a rticles” you publish regularly in T h e Jo u rn a l. W ILLIA M M . LAW SON, DMD BIRM IN G H A M , ALA
E d ito r ’s n o te : A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s is produced b y the C ouncil on D en tal T herapeutics and “ h ou se a d s” and prom otional mater ials are develop ed b y the D epartm ent o f S ales and A dvertising. W e have asked both agen cies to respond to D r. L a w so n ’s letter. ■ T he prom otion o f the 36th edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p eu tic s in the D ecem b er 1976 and January 1977 issu es o f T h e J o u rn a l was an over sight. A procedure has b een institut ed to prevent this in the future. Thank you for your suggestion about remain ing cop ies. FRANK J. CORDERO, DIRECTOR DEPARTM ENT OF SALES AND ADVERTISING
■ T h e staff o f the C ouncil on D ental T herapeutics regrets prom otion o f the current edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s w hen the publication o f the new edition w as imminent. T h e 37th edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l
U rg es p e rs o n a liz e d services m In resp on se to your January j a d a editorial, I w ish to offer the following: I feel that you have hit upon a very im portant topic. A s a very active m em ber o f m y local com ponent, I have seen a m ove aw ay from organ ized dentistry. T h e feeling is that the A D A no longer represents the feelings or fulfills the n eeds o f the average “ w et finger” dentist. M embership has becom e a problem and w ill get w orse. E ven m ore frightening is the apathy w hich exists throughout the local com p onen ts. I f not for th ose dedicated few , w e w ould have no functioning at all. M any o f m y colleagues say either “ w hy b elon g” or “ w hat is the A sso c iation doing for m e ,” and you are now realizing this problem on the national level and that is to be applauded. H o w ev er, w ords are often forgotten w hen they are n ot follow ed by action. I propose that w e set up a staff to deal with personalized mem bership ser v ices. If you set up another council, you w ill be w asting your time. H ire
som eon e w ho cares about dentists and their problem s and give him a staff to do som ething about it, and you will see the results in a short per iod o f time. T he reason that I am writing this letter is b eca u se I see a real need for th ese serv ices and a staff w ho will be available to provide them . In fact, I feel so strongly about this that I would be willing to serve in any w ay to see your id eas com e to fruition. DAVID L. RAUCHER, DDS H O W ELL, NJ
■ “ Right o n ” with your January 1977 editorial. T h e list o f personal and specialized serv ices that the A D A could offer m em bers is lim ited only by im agination. M y only suggestion w ould be that th ey be essentially selfsupporting, but not overly profit making. I w ould like to com m ent on several o f the services already available. I periodically purchase the A D A pub lication titled A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s , w hich is apparently now a biannual publication. I have had the 36th edition (1975/76) for at least a year and a half and noted that it w as pub lished in January 1975. W hen I saw a full page ad in the D ecem b er 1976 Jo u rn a l, advertising the “ n ew ” A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tics, I almost ordered it, until I noticed the 1975/76 dates. I assum ed that the D ecem b er ad w as a last shot effort to clear the inventory. Y et later, the January 1977 issu e o f T h e J o u rn a l also carried a full-page ad, still trying to sell the 1975/ 76 publication. M y question would be: W hen will the 1977/78 (37th edi tion) be published? If the new edition w ill be published and available within the next few m onths, then I would protest th e A D A ’s trying to unload the old 1975/76 edition. If the A D A is overstock ed with A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s that are now outdated, I have a suggestion as to what they can do w ith t h e m . . . . N o , you guessed w rong, m y suggestion is constructive. P ick at random A D A m em bers w ho are in their seco n d or third year o f A D A m em bership, w hen they are beginning to have to pay full dues, are beginning loan repaym ent, and have b een out o f sch ool for a few
606 ■ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / JADA, Vol. 94, A pril 1977
years, and g iv e them the n ew ly out dated publication. A little note along w ith th e b ook co u ld explain that this w as a sam ple o f the many services the A D A provides its m em bers, and then list som e or all o f the services provided m em bers. I b elieve they w ould appreciate the b ook , the cost w ould be minimal, and m any w ould purchase future editions. O ne last com m ent. I have regularly u sed the A D A appointm ent books, and didn’t mind the 20% increase in c o st, to $5.95 for the 1977 book. N o w I se e that the A D A 1978 appointment b ook w ill c o st $10. Is this b ook a ser v ic e for A D A m em bers, or is it a highprofit item only? I noticed an ad from a w ell-know n nationw ide com pany, for a com parable appointm ent book at $4.50 for 1 9 7 8 .1s the A D A book really w orth more than tw ice as much? Per haps im proved services for A D A m em bers could start with a review o f existin g services. I w ill end by com plim enting you on the selectio n and quality o f the “ Orig inal a rticles” you publish regularly in T h e Jo u rn a l. W ILLIA M M . LAW SON, DMD BIRM IN G H A M , ALA
E d ito r ’s n o te : A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s is produced b y the C ouncil on D en tal T herapeutics and “ h ou se a d s” and prom otional mater ials are develop ed b y the D epartm ent o f S ales and A dvertising. W e have asked both agen cies to respond to D r. L a w so n ’s letter. ■ T he prom otion o f the 36th edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p eu tic s in the D ecem b er 1976 and January 1977 issu es o f T h e J o u rn a l was an over sight. A procedure has b een institut ed to prevent this in the future. Thank you for your suggestion about remain ing cop ies. FRANK J. CORDERO, DIRECTOR DEPARTM ENT OF SALES AND ADVERTISING
■ T h e staff o f the C ouncil on D ental T herapeutics regrets prom otion o f the current edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l T h e ra p e u tic s w hen the publication o f the new edition w as imminent. T h e 37th edition o f A c c e p te d D e n ta l