A century of scientific progress.

Abstract

Preface The exploration of science as it relates to dental health has placed the profession in a unique position as it enters the 21st century. Periodontal disease and dental caries are now well understood, enabling technological advances in prevention and cure. As genomic research unfolds, dental scientists can begin to explore the pathologies of craniofacial diseases and their genetic underpinning. Their goal is to understand the genetic markers and use them in preemptive therapy to eliminate future disease patterns. Looking back at the 20th century, three areas stand out as turning points in our scientifi c evolution. The fi rst centered on the physiology of saliva, without which existence becomes tenuous. The addition of the fl uoride ion to drinking water necessitated the need for research of the saliva and the oral tissues involved in this genuine public health triumph. The second focused on the microbiology and immunology of periodontal disease, which led to better treatment and prevention. Third, dental education served as the foundation upon which the fi rst two areas were built. The solid university training for dental scientists and clinicians became the basis for modern dentistry’s success in this century. In 1926, the Carnegie Foundation published A Survey of Dental Education in the United States and Canada, Bulletin Number Nineteen, written by Dr. William John Gies. The new era of dental education that began after this publication slowly evolved over the century into a new paradigm. Several selected examples are presented herein to show some of the major areas in research and education that are keys to understanding how this revolution occurred. Included are exemplars Drs. Gies and Alfred LeRoy Johnson, as well as the university settings that made their successes possible. Government funding played an important role as well, with the birth of the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) in 1947, presently known as the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Government monies for new school construction in 1963 (Health Professions Educational Assistance Act) and 1971 (Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act) also helped change the environment and opportunities available to the new cohort of dental scientists, whose education was fi nanced through the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill. Politicians realized that good dental health was needed for the nation’s overall well-being.1