DENTISTS ARE PROGRESSIVE

“Prevention” Was Slogan of Big Convention

[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 17 May 1921]

By far the most important gathering of professional men ever held in Canada concluded its sessions recently in Toronto. This was the 54^th Annual Convention of the Ontario Dental Association called into being to project intensified study in prevention of dental disease and the alleviation of suffering due to neglect of the teeth. A particular effort was made this year to get together all the most active men in the profession residing in Ontario; and that this effort was successful can be gathered from the fact that some half a thousand practising dentists left their homes and travelled many miles to get the latest curative message.

PREVENTION THE REAL NEED

“Prevention” was the real slogan of the whole convention. There were present some very fine exhibits of mechanical and other devices aiming to prevent dental disease; and the convention itself was fairly saturated with the one idea of relieving pain by anticipating and hindering disease. Some very fine lessons in prevention were taught by Professor Wallace Secombe in his lantern slide lecture on this subject; and the progressive clinic on preventative Dentistry was particularly fine. The importance of diet is particular received a great deal of attention.

The Convention put itself on record as being out and out for modern preventive measures with their saving of human suffering. The splendid work of Dr. F.J. Conboy in inaugurating a provincial school dental service was highly commended by prominent members of the profession; and in order that his valuable services be not lost to the province, the dentists decided to set aside $1000 to supplement the $4000 salary offered to Dr. Conboy to act as Director of Dental Services for the Province of Ontario.

TO RELIEVE SUFFERING

All branches of dental science were thoroughly reviewed. Not only was prevention strongly stressed, but the best restorative methods were explained and demonstrated by experts, the progressive clinics enabling the attending dentists to get a real knowledge of the best practice in the shortest possible time. The importance of the X-Ray in diagnosis was clearly pointed out; and the way to correctly interpret X-Ray photographs, shown in the minutest detail. The Hamilton Clinic Club put on a very fine clinic dealing with artificial dentures; and the correct and incorrect methods of reparative dentistry were clearly differentiated.

The Anaesthesia Clinic aimed to take the pain out of all dental operations in the future. Dr. James Cotton told of a special ether administration by means of which many major operations had been performed with the patient fully conscious but suffering no pain whatever. The application of these new methods to dental operations was made quite plain.

Dr. F.P. Moore of Hamilton, was elected president for the ensuing year, and Dr. R.J. Sprott of Barrie, vice-president with Dr. J. Fleming of Prescott moving up as honorary president. Drs. J.A. Bothwell and C.A. Kennedy of Toronto were re-elected secretary-treasurer and archivist respectively. Drs. W.L. Chalmers, C.E. Brookes, F.J. Conboy, E.L. Gausby, O.G. Plaxton, and M.W. Rutherford were re-elected Governors of the Association.