(3 of 5)
Of the 38 Class A dental schools in this country, only five are "independent" i.e., not affiliated with a university; San Francisco School of Dentistry, which hopes to join Stanford University; North Pacific College, of Portland, Ore.; Kansas City-Western; Atlanta-Southern; Texas Dental College, Houston. For lack of money Tulane University, Vanderbilt University and University of Cincinnati have closed their dental schools.
The nationwide movement called Socialized Medicine to give all U. S. citizens free medical service at government expense infuriates the dentists even more than it does the doctors. The American Medical Association, sure of its strength in legislative lobbies, has compromised somewhat with Socialized Medicine. The American Dental Association, aware that its lobbyists are unskilled, its numbers relatively small* and its antecedents plain, fights Socialized Medicine tooth & nail. Cried A. D. A. President Winter in his farewell address last week: "While history is in the making it is not for the American Dental Association to sit on the side lines after the manner of listless spectators. . . . The outstanding trend in national and world affairs today is toward the establishment of economic dictatorship. . . . It has been suggested that a plan of insurance practice might be established by the Government guaranteeing each dentist a certain amount of practice, for which he would be paid by the Government. . . . What rights would the dentist be asked to surrender or what compromises would he be asked to make in return for the guaranteed income, which could be but small? . . . The members of our profession need to make no compromise with their conscience in order to gain a livelihood. .. . We need not sell out to political powers."
Dr. Miner: "The American Dental Association is firmly opposed to socialization in any compulsory form."
President Winter also took a valedictory whack at Dentist Leroy L. Hartman of Columbia University, whose dental pain-killer created great hopes among patients, great consternation among dentists, who found that it did not always work (TIME, Feb. 3). Dr. Hartman last week told the A. D. A. all about Hartman's Solution, his method of applications, and the types of cavities it is suited for. Dr. Paul Wells of Chicago reported that of 23,000 patients treated, 30% felt no pain whatsoever after application of Hartman's Solution, 30% felt some pain, 40% gained no anesthesia whatsoever. Still vexed, President Winter cried last week: "It is cruel for expectations to be aroused, only to be shattered because they are based on a misunderstanding. . . . There is a lesson for the general public, the Press and the profession in the excitement caused by the announcement of painless dentistry, followed later by disillusionment."