The Hospital as a Training Ground for the Dental Specialties: A Digest

Abstract

De n t i s t r y , the earliest formal specialty in medicine, has advanced from a limited restorative art to a complex service concerned with the whole oral cavity. Subdivisions of special practice have developed, which deserve an equal status with medical specialties. It is de­ sirable, however, to preserve the iden­ tity of these subdivisions as dental. The organized profession, accordingly, must win public confidence by setting high standards of qualification and de­ veloping training facilities for special­ ists. To preserve proper balance, of course, general practice must remain the backbone of dentistry. Specialization ■ should be encouraged only as it accel­ erates progress in general as well as in special practice. This it can certainly do if rightly approached. . The first thing needed is machinery for evaluating qualifications, certifying specialists and convincing the public that this certification is bona fide evi­ dence of outstanding skill. The second need is for the development of systematic and flexible training facilities for spe­ cialists. There is an obvious discrepancy be­ tween the formal training of the general surgeon and that of the oral surgeon. The latter is at a disadvantage in hos-' pital work, since he is subject to com­ parison with general surgeons who have had systematic training in all hospital procedures. Until opportunity for equal training and experience is available to the dental specialist, there can be no true parity here. Entirely aside from the ques­ tion of public esteem, the work of the