The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-09
THE DENTIST AS BENEFACTOR
CHANGED VIEW HELD or HIN
BY HIS PATIENTS.

Torture People MAKE o ConHuant Ol
Him-E.w York Dentists Summoned
to Europe TO Treat wealthy Patients
The relations between dentists and thelI
patients nave changed much in the last
generation. They nave grown more cor.
dial and sympathetic. The dentists Office
IL no longer necessarily associated with
pain.
Many persons remember very well when
even high class dentists did q lot Of tooth
pulling. In those days to maintain cordial
relations with ones dentist and to invite
him to luncheon or dinner, as patients dc
with the family doctor, was very uncom-
mon. Said a New York dentist reminis-
Gently:
"When 1t took nearly one hour to bore
q hole by hand work In a tooth and both
patient and dentist were nearly killed In
the operation. the patient lingering TO ex-
change social amenities was out Of the
question. The average patient felt more
like killing the dentist than asking him to
dinner"
All that has been changed. The high
class metropolitan dentist Of to-day differs
from the old timer in methods, prices and
results. As for receiving the condolences
OF patients, there are New York dentists
who could give cards and spades to the
family doctor.
Tooth pulling has gone out Of fashion.
When, as will happen In the best regulated
families, a tooth must be sacrificed the
dentist Is likely to refer the patient to a
specialist who pulls teeth only, although
for a consideration he may agree to attend
the patient during the ordeal. In the case
Of women this arrangement is often made.
II lie one Of the Injuries the rich woman
allows herself.
Not long ago 1t was decided that a certain
debutante must have her wisdom teeth
pulled out and she was referred to a special
list. At the request OF her father the dentist
accompanied her to the specialist and after
ward paid a daily visit to her at her home
for nearly a fortnight. The charge for
these attentions would have staggered the
father Of q debutante Of twenty years ago,
but in this case the bill was paid without
q murmur, for the reason perhaps that this
particular father had paid a much larger
bill on his own account not long before.
The fathers bill is an excellent illustra-
ton of one phase of modern dentistry as
practised in New York. Outside of New
York it Is doubtful II incidents Of this sort
occur.
The debutante's father put himself at the
mercy OF the dentist for a delicate piece of
work involving some Of the advanced proc
esses of building up from old foundations,
processes at which the American dentist
is said to beat all others in the world. When
the job was half done the patient an
nounced that important business called him
10 Europe, that he must sail at mt and that
he probably would remain abroad all sum-
mer.
Naturally the dentist protested thai it
would be extremely prejudicial to the work
already done to leave the job in an I'M
finished condition for 40 long a time. Far
better not to have started the work at all,
he explained. unless operations could be
resumed in two or three weeks at furthest.
-well then. you must come to me- said
the patient cheerfuIly. as II the journey
were no further than to The Bronx or Brook
lyn. Before he left the dentists office the
matter was arranged. He agreed to pay
the dentists passage back and forth on a
first class steamer and to Ipay him $50 a day
while completing the work, besides the regu-
lar charges for the wark.
III tcob t0hll tWO tWSchS t0o C6utlbU IOl-
lowed his patient to Europe, remaining on
the other side eight working days. although
the work could have been done in half the
had his patient been willing to give
him longer sittings. As it was he spent an
hour or 30 a CAV working and the rest Of his
time slghtseeing at his patients expense.
One Of the most skilful dentists in New
York sailed for Europe last May to attend
three patients. each Of whom paid all
his travelling expenses and also a fee OF $50
Q day while the work ~ss being done. In
the story the dentist said:
None. OF the three knew that two other
persons bad made me the same offer and I
did not think IL necessary to do any ex-
planning. ss each IL enormously wealthy and
would feel happier to think she was the
one and only patient Who had summoned
Paris, the other two in London, and none
the others.
an each case the work was Of a very
special kind in which porcelain plays q
big part and which. l believe. could not be
done 30 well for love or money in Europe az
L a be done here. My patients knew
this. and the saving Of even thousands OF
dollars wonld not compensate them for dem
work other than the best; for there are no
women in, the world more fastidious about
thoir teeth thnn rich Americans. once they
learn the possibilities Of modern dentistry.
Il SUPPOSE twanty years q IL was al
unhenrd Of for a dentist to make p
Of attending patients in their
homes, whereas now It is not at all uncom-
mon. Not long ago. for instanca. I paid a
daily visit to one Of the leading Fifth avenue
for a period Of nearly two weeks, the |
who is a R~ostonian and elderly,
the ordeal of coming to my office.
OF course her bill will be larger on account
Of my going to her. but what difference
does that make to her?
SOnce upon a time when q woman had an
liberated tooth and her cheek began TO
well and her eye to close and the tooth as
40 sore to touch even. she used t. do her |
self up In wells and try to sneak In and out
Of the dentists Office without being seen. /,
she stavs on her couch in her
own room and sends for her dentist In time
to arrest the liberation and relieve
her Of a good deal Of suffering and some dis |
fgurement. Isn't that worth S25 to herr"
In speaking Of the amioable relations i
these days between patient and dentist this |
particular dentist. who has a sympathetic
and an agreeable personality, re-
thnt he sometimes thought his
saved up all their woes to pour
into his ears and many OF the women made \
pr tried TO make dinner ENGAGEMENTS with
him that they might nave a chance to con-
tinue their condolences undisturbed. As
he dentist has a charming wife and an ex-
pellent cook. 80 far he has not been philan-
enough to accept these invitations, |
l--A Ali - Il