Dr. Adolph Bushell: a New England treasure & a Renaissance man for all seasons.

The landscape of New England lost a treasure on July 26, 2013 in the person of Dr. Adolph Bushell. He was a man for all seasons who dedicated his life to helping people around the world in meaningful ways. Dr. Bushell was 90 years old at the time of his passing, having spent over 60 of those years in the service of others; primarily through his dental expertise and leadership, but also through his amazing humanitarian efforts and lifetime of volunteerism for which he received numerous awards and recognition.

Historical perspectives on the roots of the apical negative pressure irrigation technique in endodontics.

The removal of the infectious process caused by an abscess in the periapical tissues was a challenge to dentists in the early part of the 20th century. While they recognized the need to debride the periapical tissues, the process was slow, tedious, and often fraught with failure that resulted in tooth extraction. However, with some creative ingenuity, an irrigation-suction apparatus was developed in the 1930s that enabled rapid and thorough debridement. This appliance went through multiple developmental permutations and was successful in achieving the desired goal. Interestingly, while the purpose of this device was a controlled periapical debridement through the root canal, and not necessarily a focus on a cleaning of the intricacies of the root canal system, the basic concept purported was similar to contemporary approaches used in root canal debridement today.

Bernhard Gottlieb's impact on contemporary endodontology.

Bernhard Gottlieb, physician and dentist, was born in 1885 in Kúty, Galacia (later Czechoslovakia). He received his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Vienna and a doctorate in medical dentistry from the University of Bonn. He belonged to a group of Viennese scientists who originated periodontics, orthodontics, pedodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. In the 1930s he began to address in the European sector, root canal treatment in teeth with a vital pulp; following his immigration to the United States, he settled in Texas, in the position of professor and head of the Department of Pathology and Research at Baylor College of Dentistry. Gottlieb wrote many scientific articles and textbooks and is responsible for the beginnings of oral histology as a distinct scientific discipline within dentistry. His initial investigations focused on the periodontium and resorptive activity identified during orthodontic treatment. However, his continued research interests, which are rarely highlighted, focused on teeth and pulps that had undergone trauma and teeth that presented with necrotic pulps. Moreover, his most important legacy may lie in his establishment of the foundation for tissue engineering within dentistry, through his research on the impact of hard tissue elements such as bone, dentin and cementum on the formation of new tissues (regeneration). As stated by Dr. Gottlieb, "This seems to be the goal for which science should strive in endodontia".

Clark's rule vis à vis the buccal object rule: its evolution & application in endodontics.

Originally, Clark's rule was used to identify the position of unerupted or supernumerary teeth (a concept known as oral localization) prior to orthodontic tooth movement or surgical removal. However, the versatility of this rule's principles and concepts are also highly applicable to endodontic diagnosis and treatment. While contemporarily known by many different names, such as the "buccal object rule" and the "cone beam-shift technique," the importance of this rule in endodontics was not recognized in the literature until late in the 20th century, despite historical evidence demonstrating its incorporation into root canal procedures almost 100 years ago.

A century of endodontics: from Philadelphia to Boston.

While Dr. Grossman was in Rostock with a letter of introduction from Dr. Prinz, he visited several distinguished dentists in Berlin. One was the aged Dr. Otto Walkoff, who, with the help of a physicist while in Wurzberg, was the first dentist to capture the image of a tooth soon after the discovery of radiology by Roentgen in 1895. At his home, Dr. Walkoff passed the X-ray tube head that had taken the historic film to Dr. Grossman, who then held this treasured artifact in his hands. This transfer of culture from Germany to the United States marked the beginning of modern endodontics. Similarly, when Dr. Goldman gave Dr. Schilder his backing by sending him to study under Dr. Grossman at the University of Pennsylvania, the progress of endodontic excellence moved forward, ensuring a Century of Endodontics.

Historical perspectives on the evolution of surgical procedures in endodontics.

The historical pathway to current surgical endodontic procedures and their applications has been tortuous and tumultuous. Influenced heavily in their development by the European sector, these surgical procedures faced many challenges over the decades. Fortunately for today's practitioners, influential members of the oral surgery community, and a few staunch believers in retaining devitalized teeth, persisted in their investigation of and search for improved procedures that had predictable outcomes. Many so-called "revolutionary" or newer techniques practiced today are but a re-emergence of surgical concepts that were lost in the archives of time. With the advent of evidence-based endodontics, these procedures are now supported extensively by science and by the integration of science into materials usage, technique applications and outcomes research. However, in many respects, this story is just beginning, as the "roots" of surgical endodontics are explored.

[Changes in the therapy of pulpal diseases and periapical lesions according to the articles published in the journal Fogorvosi Szemle during the past 100 years (1908-2008)]. / A fogbélbetegségek és a fogbél következményes betegségeinek terápiájában (gyökérkezelés) bekövetkezett változások 100 éve a Fogorvosi Szemle közlemenyeinek tükrében (1908-2008).

Present review makes an attempt to summarize the Hungarian endodontic literature of pulpal and periodontal diseases, published during the past 100 years. The experimental examinations and clinical studies make it possible to follow the changes in the methods and in the medicines, used in the field of pulpal treatment. The overview gives us information about the problem of disinfection, shaping, measuring, and obturation of root canal.

Forsyth, Harvard, and endodontic education: 1970-1987.

In 1970, there were few fully-educated endodontists and formalized endodontic programs in the United States. Dr. Alvin Krakow began a teaching/clinical program that combined the best in technical education and research for academically-minded young clinicians. The Forsyth Dental Center hosted the program while the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) offered the prerequisite courses in basic science. The program ended in 1987 and was reinstituted in 1993. Today, the program continues to graduate a small group of diversified and educated clinicians. A number of graduates in the original group have made significant contributions to the specialty. This historical perspective focuses on the early years of the combined program.

The genesis and development of the Endodontic Study Club of Brisbane (1964-1970).

This narrative delineates the International, Australian and Queensland settings, between 1940 and 1970 that impeded the development of endodontology and evidence-based endodontic practice. It explores the genesis of the Endodontic Study Club of Brisbane between 1964 and 1970. Pioneers' contributions to endodontology in Australia, together with contemporaneous problems, are identified. The author used literature review and historic method. The historical and constitutional backgrounds contributed to the disjointed origins of the Australian Society of Endodontology, which were networked but autonomous study clubs that appeared in capital cities between 1960 and 1965. This was an era when dental education in Queensland was emerging from serious problems. Brown and Simpson liaised with Ehrmann and established the Endodontic Study Club of Brisbane. Members of the Endodontic Study Club of Brisbane were collegiate, disciplined, few, innovative, insular, isolated and visionary. Membership demanded a commitment to self-education, collective learning and peer review.

Operative dentistry in the second century BCE.

An archaeological excavation by the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums recovered the skeletal remains of 25 people buried in a mass grave dated to approximately 200 BCE. Subsequent analysis of the dentition showed one skeleton with a 2.5-mm bronze wire implanted in the maxillary lateral incisor. This is the first archaeological evidence of operative dentistry in ancient Israel, as well as the earliest date for this specific treatment in the world.

A personal history of dental practice: 1920-1980.

The progress that has been made in dentistry during the past 60 years is reviewed by Dr. Grossman, who has been a member of the profession since 1923 and whose experience has covered both the purely academic and practical application of current theory.

Endodontics 1776-1976: a bicentennial history against the background of general dentistry.

During 200 years of progress in endodontics, various sciences have contributed to our understanding of the physiology and pathology of the dental pulp. Early treatment included cauterization of the pulp, the use of poultices or leeches, and tooth transplantation or replantation. Various methods of pulp devitalization are reviewed. Near the turn of the century, the discovery of X rays made diagnosis more accurate and the discovery of local anesthetics eliminated pain during endodontic treatment. Although the focal infection theory slowed the acceptance of endodontic treatment in this century, the biomechanical concept of treatment and research have recently opened new avenues for treatment and have initiated improvements in medicaments and filling materials.

Specialist registration in Victoria--training of specialists in endodontics.

A historical review is presented of the growth and development of the MDSc programme in Endodontics at the University of Melbourne.