Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-14
DENTISTS HELD A MEETING.
DISCUSSED A BILL TO ELEVATE THE
STANDARD OF THE PROFESSION.
1t VIII Provide for n Board of Dental
Examiners, Such rs Are in Other
states-IncOmpetents Are
to BE Excluded.

Most of the leading dentists of Kansas
City met at the Midland hotel last night
to discuss the bill which it is proposed to
have offered at the present session of the
Missouri legislature. providing Tor the ere
alton of a board of dental examiners for
Missouri.
For long time leading dentists of Kan
sas City and of the state have been en-
gagged in the preparation OF Dill framed
on the laws of other states which have
boards such as 1t is proposed to establish
in Missouri. until they have framed q
bill which they think is Just right and and
of the legislature by Representative Iiams,
of Kansas City. The bill provides for a
board of dental examiners, to consist OF
five practicing dentists, to be appointed
by the governor from. legally qualified dem
lists who have been engaged in the con-
tinuous practice of dentistry in the state
for five years. After the creation of this
board it shall be unlawful for any person
to practice dentistry in this state unless
such person shall tirst have Obtained q
certificate of registration issued by this
board
The bill will provide that all dentists who
are now practicing in the state. who can
furnish to the board satisfactory evidence
that they are legally registered, may obtain
n certificate of registration and license on
who shall desire to enter upon the practice
of dentistry in the state shall submit to
thorough. practical examination by tne
and shall. on payment of n fee Of so, re-
ceive certificate il the examination Is sue
cessfully taken. The penalty clause of the
bill provides for fine OF not less than 500
or more than 500, or by Imprisonment in
the county Jail not less than twenty or
more than sixty days or both.
Secretary Patterson, In talking OF the
necessity for the proposed legislation, said:
This bill is designed for the protection OF
the public as well as of legally registered
and competent dentists. 1t is q notorious
fact that Missouri has been made dump
ing ground for alleged dentists for the
simple reason that the registration laws
have been so poor and so laXly enforced
that II has been no trouble for any man
claiming to be q dentist to get a certii-
cate.
The present law provides that any per-
son with a diploma can take 1t to the
county clerk and be legally registered as
q dentist without any inquiry whatever
into his qualifications. / have known OF
cases where students who had one or two
wear certificates simply showing that they
| had studied dentistry that long. have been
registered on them. and other cases wnere
men have been registered simply because
\ they claimed to have diplomas. Under TINS
| new law we believe the practice of dentists
| nv can be so regulated that only compe-
| tent dentists who have graduated from
reputable institutions and who are able to
pass a thorough examination can obtain
certificates, allowing them to practice dem
tistry in Missouri. and If the law accom-
plishes this it will do away with great
| many abuses and a great many incompe-
tent dentists.