The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-12
MANY SUBJECTS Of
INTEREST TO THE
DENTISTS HEARD
Wednesday Sessions Close
With Banquet AT
Night

DR.. w. E. Harper of Chicago, an
expert on am pgam technique, opened
the second day of the four-d day con-
vention of the Alabama Dental asso-
citation at o'clock Wednesday morn
hotel with an address on THE
Science of Adoption of Amalgam to
Cavity Walls and the Removal of
Excess Mercury, Operation Details
That Are the Source of Our Amalgam
Failures"
DR.. 8. b. Hopkins of Greenville,
who was elected first vice president
for the ensuing year, presided over
the meetings in the absence of the
president, Charles G.. billiard, of
Huntsville, who was kept away
owing to a serious illness of his
mother.
DR.. Harper IN a technical address
to the association told the assembled
dentists of the results that he had
arrived at, after making careful
record of 400 tests made by himself
and zoo tests made by another
trained experimental operator. He
said that only about 10 per cent Of
the tests of filings would resist
pressure from within. At the same
time he stated that he took every
opportunity to test the work of rep
resentative ama1gam operators.
Finding 1t faulty in most cases, the
experimental work was carried for
ward until now it is almost perfect
and can stand the air test to which
1t is subjected easily.
clinical observations indicate that
Notwithstanding these before men
toned faults, 95 per cent of amalgam
Filings at the time of their insertion
save the teeth" DR.. Harper said.
This manifest tooth saving power
possessed by certain amalgams per-
mitted the continued use of this
faulty filling material"
After pointing out the saving pow
er possessed by certain amalgams
and the value and method used in
the different filings, DR.. Harper
urged the use of a proper amalgam
technique and advised that the work
be done right even if the cost was
greater, to charge a just fee and do
the work right.
He expressed his belief that after
the public was educated to the ma
ture of the work that they would CO.
operate with the dentist in the mat
ter of just fee.
DR.. c. N. Johnson of Chicago fol-
lowed with an address on "Preven-
ton" DR.. Johnson made a plea for
the children of the public schools
that they be taught proper care of
the teeth. and expressed confidence
that the public would soon grasp the
significance of this first important
step in care of the teeth.
This he declared to be one of the
most essential things to teach the
children, as it means better health
and stronger men and women for flu
ture generations.
The afternoon session was ad-
dressed by DIR. c. A. Furrow of Tulsa.
Okla. who talked on Partial Dem
lures" He discussed the old bri<
work methods and the failures and
success that he had met with in the
process of his experimental work.
The subject of partial dentures
with it's many forms of technique
attachments, with their respective
ability to function properly and i'm
properly, is one of the most essential
parts of dentistry" DIR. Furrow de-
clared in opening.
He stated that in his work he had
found that no two cases could he
treated alike, but that in some tech
nical feature they all differed.
Giving some of the most general
cases, he showed wheresthe old-style
clasp and bridge work caused the
decay of the teeth instead of pre-
to stop flowing over the teeth and
therefore cut off one of the best
preservatives.
People, in the second place. fail IT,
observe the precautions given to
them as to the care of the teeth by
the dentist and cause decay.
In place of the old methods, DR..
Furrow showed the advantage of
system of wire work that did away
with these precautions and evils of
destruction.
The day was closed by banquet
in the ballroom Of the Tutwiler a.
8 o'clock Wednesday night. Th ,
convention will close Friday.