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Additional Entry at Fulton, MO. --r -_-___- I

EDITORIALS

The Next Orthodadic Ltiw&ip

U PON the professional stage of action things are changing rapidly? as are all things at this time. Concepts orthodontic are changing as well, aad

it is interesting to interview the younger men in the orthodontic &Ad of endeavor to learn, to know and to survey their attitude toward the gleneral or whole picture of their profession. They represerit the new thought, t&e recent approach to the subject. They mentally reflect a new----or perhaps a better adjective than new would be great, big or broad-picture of the subject as contrasted to the mecha.nical or a.pplied epoch of twenty years past.

887

888 E&&vials

A young man of ten’ years’ experience in ort’hodontia, a graduate of an eminently well-known postgradua,te school course of eight weeks’ duration, a man who has availed himself of every short postgraduate course available to him in the past ten years, in other words a modern well-trained and well- rounded-out orthodontist, was asked by this editor to write, in short and to the point, his concept of the status orthodontic of 1932. It will be interesting to our readers to know what he wrote. It follows:

“When one considers the vast amount of material which has been con- tributed to the science of orthodontia, thereby tracing the progress of this specialty to the present day, he realizes that the subject matter assumes formi- dable proportions.

“The initiate to the practice of orthodontia is confronted with a serious problem. Having just returned from a postgraduate course of instruction, consisting of several weeks of intensive study in the fundamentals of the science, with his mind full of systems of procedure, contradictory statements advanced by orthodontists, and an armamentarium of strange instruments, he is bewildered and seeks surcease from doubt and uncertainty in the litera- ture on the subject. The contributions of the leaders of thought on the sub- ject seem to be at variance with one another. What is he to do? Whom is he to follow? He must consider that authoritative statements as such, are nonexistent-their context may be altered by the state of the individual’s physical, emotional and environmental fitness. The student should, instead, select from every available source of information some shreds of evidence which he can apply to his understanding of the subject. This, then, becomes the residuum of scientific information upon which he must depend, until, by dint of effort, clinical practice and observation, he can arrive at a method of procedure which is peculiarly adapted to his concept of the orthodontic problem.

“THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORTHODONTIA, ORAL SURGERY AND RADIOG- RAPHY has for seventeen years published the thoughts, writings and discus- sions of the leading contributors of the time, and when one thumbs the various editions of t,his publication, he is impressed with the ‘fac.t that no one man or system can be followed or accepted literally. However, there are formulas advanced by some of the older scientists which, by reason of strict ‘investiga- tion and years of successful application, have become accepted as fact.

“The student must turn to the study of natural and biological phenomena for an answer to his problem. The masticatory mechanism’is not to be con- sidered as a separate organism but as one of an aggregation of organs, all interdependent and subject to the same laws of growth and. development as the organism as a whole. Physical and biological laws do not necessarily coincide. In spite of the so-called axioms of treatment advanced by our scientific literateurs, we cannot lose sight of the fact that certain developmen- tal phenomena are misconstrued, are treated as anomalies and the results obtained are occasionally satisfactory, in spite of the appliances used. Upon close observation, it will be found that a .number of these cases would have matured properly if allowed to go on unmolested by mechanical contrivances. Again, many cases are discharged as treated long before the necessary age

of maturity, only to have them return: years later. relapsed. This sad at?iiir. in many cases, is responsible for the denouncement of the system of’ treatm~~nt used. and marks the birth of a new one.

“It follows then, that clinical experience becomes one of the best instru- menta at our disposal. Conventions of orthodontists. orthodont,ic lite,rature and conversations wit,h other men in the field all serve their purpose, siucc it enables the student to evaluate the current thought on the subject i1tld apply it to his best advantage.

“The beginner in orthodontia is the scientist of tomorrow. and long after the present authorities have passed to their just desserts, he must ta!*t*y the banner. and by understanding that his patients are just as human and living as himself. be able, perhaps, to approach the solution of the orthodontic& problem. ”

If the above train of thought reflects the attitude of many of the younger men in orthodontia, it is plainly obvious that orthodontia as a scienet~ is destined for far greater progress “than it has enjoyed in the pant, that, the pioneering days are passing, along with so-called mechanical systems in orthodontia. This Journal believes the thoughts reflected in this young man’s words are for progress in orthodontia as a science.

f-i. c. P

Debgates

D ELEGATES to dental a.nd medical conventions fall into two groups: those who seek and those who are sought. In the first class belong the p&i-

cians in dentistry and medicine. and they are legion. In the second &ss be- long the dentist and physician who do not ,seek political preferment, but upon whose shoulders is placed by their colleagues, the political leadership of the local society.

State and national dental and medical conventions are made up of these two types of delegates. Let it be said in passing that it is no easy t.ask to suc- cessfully carry out. the obligation of a delegate to conventions. If one dots nothing at such meetings or if there is nothing but routine work to be done, then being a delegate is not,hing more than a rubber stamp signature to a circular letter. But, on the other hand, let important measures be pending, measures that mea,n much either in developing or retarding dentistry or rncdi- tine, and the picture changes materially. Then as a delegate one has reepou- sibilities to carry.

It would be well if members of local and stat,e dental and medical socrio- ties could be made to realize that there are obligations connected with alloy- ing oneself to assume the duties of being a delegate to such conventions. IhI- coming “delegate minded,” as it were. would be of great benefit to both deu- tistry and medicine. A realization of the seriousness of such obligations would make delegates take up their duties with a feeling of responsibility, and not with the feeling so much in evidence now that it, affords an opportunity of airing some personal grievance or putting over some pet idea.