Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-27
BUSINESS SESSION and TALKS
FEATURE FIRST DAYS MEETING
OF maine DENTAL SOCIETY

About forty representative den
lists from all parts of Maine were
present at the or ening session of the
three day convention of the Maine
Dental Society, Tuesday afternoon at
the State House. The regular bust
ness session was held at this time
with the reports of the various of :
ficers being presented. The work of
the Society is constantly increasing
in magnitude and very pleasing re-
ports were presented.
Twenty-four new members we're
elected to membership at this meet.
ing: committee eonsistinE Of DR..
Minot OF Biddesord. pv. Mckay Of
Millinockett and Or. Pcndleton Of
Lewiston was appointed by preside nt
Harold L. Smith to make the neces-
sary nominations for officers for the
coming year. This committee will
report later.
In the evening President Smith de:
liverel an address which analysed in
a forcible manner the work Of the
State Convention.
Presidents Address
President Smith urged that a par
ticular effort be made to double the
membership Of the Society in the
coming year, with the principal OBJ
ject to perfect a comprehensive and
inclusive association of the ethical
dentists of the State. He outlined the
Importance of the State Society and
its necessary relation to the national
society. which is absolutely depend
ent upon the State organizations for
existence.
In an eloquent plea for high code
OF professional ethics by dentists, DR..
Smith said in part as follows:
Every dentist owes it to himself.
to humanity and to his profession to
improve himself in the doing of his
| work. He also must maintain a dig
nitied attitude toward the public. 1t
should not be impossible for men in
the same town. city and state in the
same profession to work without the
, effect Of competition interfering too
have changed, the outlook of the pub
lie upon professional service as rem
dered by medical and dental men OF
today is much different than it was
| a few years ago. People know things
now. Articles upon health and dis
case. remedies, and medical and sur
gical improvements are quite con-
stantly appearing in the monthly
magazines. OF course anything per-
tanning to personal treatment is in
teresting to the layman. The read
ing public is fairly well Informed up
on scientific subjects, that is In
general way, so that IL necessary a
particular explanation will be under
stood. People consult doctors both
medical and dental oftener than
heretofore. A good percentage OF our
patients have a good idea OF what
proper scientific attention should be
At any rate they are not slow IN
recognizing neglect and lack of care.
Patients are likely to compare notes
and in spite of the fact lndivld l.
. ;1l cases differ and that 1t is not
,.cssible to go from the general 10
the particular and obtain an accurate
deduction n little general. even II
dangerous, Knowledge IS the result.
There is no doubt but that honesty
and plain dealing have an important
Fart in every mans professional SER
vice rendered.
President Smith spoke on the class
rela tionship between the medical and
the dental professions today. and
pointed out that the doctor OF den
tistry is now more often appealed
to by the medical men to aid in the
Edia cnosis of various illnesses. Hc
sad that the general practitioner Is
OF more importance to the general
public than the specialist.
Care and thoroughness are needed
in our profession today more than
ANYTHING else. We are ultra -scientlf-
ic in many respects and have more
methods. instruments and appliances
than can be counted. SO many men
in the profession have specialized IN
branch of the work that it is dill
cult for the general practoner to fol-
lor the leader. However 1t Is the
same in dentistry as it is in medi-
cine, the general practitioner is the
man who sees the greatest variety OF
cases, he is the man who has to dag
rose, and he is the man who advises
early treatment"
National Secretary Present
DR.. Otto U. King Of Chicago. Ill.
Secretary of the National Dental AS
sociation also spoke at this meeting
DR.. King said that each state socle-
ty was fundamentally part OF the
National association and he told OF
the benefits to these state organiZa-
lions which resulted from their mem
bership in the National association
He also spoke OF their duties TOWARD
tbs larger body. With regard to the
state society he gave much valuable
advice as to the ways .. improving
it and its work. He showed how
the State Society should have q
per cent membership of the cthica
oentists Of the State.
Or. Jordan's Talk
DR.. Archer Jordan of Auburn
chairman of the Dental Hygiene de-
i, partment of the Maine Public Healtf
Association and member of the State
Examining Board for dentists was tht
last speaker to be heard at this meet
ing DIR. Archer talked along the lines
of Dental Hygiene in Maine. telling
of the program laid out by the Maine
Public Health Association to remedy
those factors which are running the
health OF the American people today
One of the most important OF these
is the matter of diet. Modern foods
such as bolted flour and meals and su
gar. are great enemies to teeth. Bu
diet of the child alone IS not all tina
must be considered. The diet OF th'
mother before the birth of the cnli'
must be looked after so that the bap!
when born may have the proper bon!
framework upon which to bulid
healthy body.
In order to improve the condition
of the teeth of the people it is neces
sary for the modern dentist to teaci
these things as we'll as to make neces
sary repairs. They must also preacl
the doctrine of cleanliness, as cleal
| tooth can never decay.
That good teeth have other oenen.:
| beside bodily health has been snow
by tests which have been conducted am
| which show that with n group OF ehi'
dren taken from the Sums OF NaeNe
land an average improvement OF oo pc
cant in school attendance, department
! .,o,t;on and scholarship resulted from