The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-19
TO KEEP DENTAL
 LAW UNCHANGED
Committee on Legislation of State Association Issues
 Circular Letter


 The committee on dental legislation bf the Connecticut Dental association calls the attention of members of the association, which comprises a ma iority of the practising dentists in the state to the effort which the commit tee fears will be made again in the coming legislature to amend the den- tai laws and allow assistant dentists 10 -set up shop and practice dentistry without passing a state eXan11nalloh' as is now required.
 A member of the state board of den- tai commissioners is taking much lh terest in the matter and in converse rion expressed himself in strong terms He says it will not be right 70 --let down the bars and allow any Scne to practice dentistry who mas 1ne money to equip an office The exam exam nation is not extremely hard, he says, and any one who has had reason able experience as an assistant oentlst should be able to prepare hlmSeI or herself for the examination. The pro- posed law, the commissioners says' nearly slipped through the last two sessions of the general ansemDly ln The rush of business at the close Of
 The committee on dental legislation has sent out the following letter;
 Dear Sir: Our first dental law. which went into effect in 1S92, per -lftted & practitioner to employ and privilege was so abused and the pub lie suffered much pain and mut1- ztn assistants that the law was amended in 1907, prohibiting in the future any new assistants unless they first proved that they were conRetent to practice upon the public. There were sixty-five of these assistants 1n offices when this amendment was passed in 1907, and in order that they should not be deprived of their right to earn a livelihood, a provision was made that they might register their names with the state examining board and continue to practice in the offices of legal practitioners assistants, but no new assistant should be per <nitted to practice until he or she took the state examinations
 In the past five years over twenty , of these assistants have studied and taken the state examinations, have passed and received license to open their own offices and practice den tistry- The balance were too indifer- -ent. apparently, to study and have made a strenuous effort during the last two sessions of our legislature to have an amendment made to our den tai law which. if passed, would give them license without first proving their competency by passing the state examinations You can readily see what an injustice this special 1egisla- ton would be to all the men who during the past twenty years have studied and passed the state board of examiners. You can also see what an let these men open offices to prac- tice dentistry when they practically acknoWIedge that they are unable to pass the state board
 We are informed that they will again make effort to secure this amendment to our dental law which will give them a license
 The Connecticut State Dental asso- ciation constitutes a majority of the dentists practising in the state, and the undersigned have been appointed a committee to bring this matter to your attention, and to ask your aid in suppressing such harmful legisla- rion-
 Committee on Dental Legislation Dr. A J. Cutting, Southington,
 pr. Edward Prentis, New London. Dr. E. s. Gaylord, New Haven.
 Dr. James McManus, Hartford,
 Dr. w O. Beecher Waterbury,
 Dr. Edward Eberle, Hartford,
 Dr. A-C- F1ones, Bridgeport, Chairman.