The nitrous oxide "dream" of Cora Gray: a dental anesthesia story of 1884.

In the September 1884 issue of Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly magazine, a fictional dramatic short story was published concerning the dental use of nitrous oxide. Entitled, "Cora Gray," it was written by the well-known American journalist and poet John Whittaker Watson (1815-1848), who authored hundreds of sentimental, tragic and dramatic poems, serials and stories concerning the destitute lives and deaths of downtrodden young women of that time. His greatest poetic effort, "Beautiful Snow," (1869) tells of a young prostitute who freezes to death in a snow bank. Watson, born in New York City, was educated at the University of New York, where he studied medicine. He also developed and used his skills as an engraver, journalist and writer. Watson obviously based his imaginative narrative on his medical knowledge of nitrous oxide and its physical and psychological side effects when inhaled. The story centers around the dreamlike romantic experiences of a 19-year-old female dental patient while she is under the effects of this gas. It explicitly depicts the administration of nitrous oxide and the resulting erotic visions and hallucinations that the young patient experiences. We make reference to other cautionary scientific writings from the late 1800s, in order to point out and clarify the potentially negative repercussions of nitrous oxide when administered to female dental patients without the presence of a third party. The ethics and propriety of anesthesia administration remain as perennial questions in dentistry to this day.

The 1790 desecration of John Milton's bones, hair and teeth in a London church.

John Milton (1608-1674), England's epic poet and a champion of civil and religious liberties, has gone down in history as one of the world's greatest philosophers, scholars and authors. Although by age 44 he had become totally blind, he steadfastly continued to write and eventually composed his poetic masterpieces, "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained." In 1674, John Milton died of kidney failure at age 66. He was buried in the "chancel under the clerk's desk" in the parish church of St. Giles-without-Cripplegate (London). Exhumed 116 years after his burial, Milton's corpse received "obscene and scandalous treatment", as portions of his bones, hair and teeth were removed, examined and indiscriminately dispersed to others.

Retail promotions and perceptions of R.J. Reynolds' novel dissolvable tobacco in a US test market.

BACKGROUND: With declining cigarette sales, tobacco manufacturers have been developing and marketing new smokeless products, such as R. J. Reynolds' dissolvable tobacco, Camel Sticks, Strips and Orbs. This study assessed the availability, price and point-of-purchase promotional strategies for Camel Dissolvables, and investigated consumer awareness, interest and perception of these products in the Indiana test market. METHODS: An exploratory retail audit of point-of-purchase promotions was conducted in a random sample of retailers from 6 store categories (n = 81) in the test market area. Data included: store type, location, product placement, forms/flavors carried, price, types and locations of advertisements and promotions, and ad messages. An Awareness-Attitude-Usage (AAU) survey was used to gauge consumer awareness and knowledge of tobacco products including Camel Dissolvables. Respondents were shown promotional materials from a package onsert and perceptions and interest in the Camel Dissolvables were assessed. An Intended Target Survey (ITS) compared subjects' perceptions of ad targets for several non-tobacco products, as well as Camel Snus, Camel No. 9 and Camel Dissolvables. Respondents were asked to identify each ad's intended target category, perceived targetedness, and purchase intent. RESULTS: The products were carried by 46% of stores, most frequently gas stations (100%) and convenience stores (75%). They were shelved near smokeless tobacco (70%), cigarettes (25%) or candy (5%). Prices ranged from $3.59 -$4.19 per package; most stores carried at least 1 promotional item. Ad messages included: "Dissolvable Tobacco" (60%). "Free Trial" (24%), "Special Price" (24%), "What's Your Style?" (22%). At 14% of stores, free trial packs of Camel Dissolvables were offered with another Camel purchase. Awareness was reported by 42% of respondents (n = 243), and trial by 3%. Consumer interest was very low, but younger respondents (< 40 years) were more familiar with Camel Dissolvables (60% vs. 45% for those > 40 years, p < .01). Males, as well as current and former smokers had higher rates of interest and trial; only 1% of never smokers reported trial. In the ITS, only for the 3 tobacco product ads, was perceived targetedness for smokers significantly higher than for non-smokers. Smokers and nonsmokers perceived that the ads targeted smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Current retail promotional strategies for Camel Sticks, Strips & Orbs appear to be targeting a select audience, primarily current smokers. Overall, consumer awareness, interest and trial were low.

"The old family toothbrush": Stotesbury's whimsy.

Edward Townsend Stotesbury (1849-1938), a prominent Philadelphia tycoon, made his millions as an investment banker and financier. In 1927, his fortune was estimated to be $100 million. In 1912, at age 63, Stotesbury, then a widower for over thirty years, married a captivating Chicago widow, Eva Roberts Cromwell. As a "glittering socialite," Cromwell had an extraordinary sense of personal theatre, a keen eye for beauty and a calculating mind. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, the couple built three lavish palatial estates. At these mansions, they entertained on an imposing scale. Stotesbury especially enjoyed entertaining his guests with recollections of the events he experienced as a Civil War drummer boy. To conclude his program, he shared this lively tune: "The Old Family Toothbrush That Hung by the Sink."

A survey of United States periodontists' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to tobacco-cessation interventions.

BACKGROUND: Because of the clear causal relationship between smoking and periodontal disease, and the negative effect of smoking on wound healing, it is of great importance to evaluate the tobacco-cessation interventions provided by periodontal practices. The use of tobacco-cessation interventions in clinical practice can be measured by whether the practitioner uses any of the "5 A's" defined by the 2008 United States Public Health Services Clinical Practice Guideline. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to 1,000 active members of the American Academy of Periodontology. The surveys assessed the periodontists' demographic information, educational and professional background, knowledge and attitudes about tobacco cessation, and use of interventions in the daily practice of periodontics. RESULTS: Data were collected from 231 periodontists via a self-administered survey. Most (92%) believed that tobacco cessation is a responsibility of the dental profession. A pattern of declining levels of involvement was seen as the providers moved through the suggested "5 A's" for promoting tobacco cessation. Providers with formal tobacco-cessation training were more likely to perform interventions. The primary perceived barriers to providing tobacco-cessation interventions were low patient acceptance of treatment, lack of time, and lack of training. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that periodontists believe that tobacco-cessation interventions are a responsibility of the dental profession; however, because of several perceived barriers, reported rates of comprehensive tobacco interventions in periodontal practices are low.

The unicorn and the narwhal: a tale of the tooth.

From as far back as the early Roman era, detailed descriptions and artistic images of the unicorn have been imagined. In Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East, this creature became accepted as real. Although such an animal had never actually been seen, it was said to have the appearance of a horse, the beard and cloven hooves of a goat, the tail of a lion, and a single, spear-like horn protruding from the center of its forehead. The unicorn myth originated shortly after unidentified horn-like objects, from six to ten feet long, began to appear in ancient European marketplaces. Physicians quickly ascribed outlandish healing properties to these horns, pulverizing them for the treatment of various diseases. In 1638, a Danish zoologist challenged these claims and provided evidence that the so-called "unicorn horn" was actually the tusk (tooth) of the narwhal from the Arctic seas. However, his findings remained unheeded for the next 100 years. This paper explains how the myth of the unicorn and the purported powers contained within the substance of its magical horn evolved from the ages-old spoils of the Arctic fishing trade, where the narwhal was primarily speared for food and secondarily, for the export value of its ivory tusk. This unusually long, pointed and protruding single tooth, which breaks through the upper lip and the left jaw of each male narwhal, became a highly valuable commodity over the following centuries, due to its believed supernatural origins and curative qualities.

Mosquitoes, flies and dental cavities: Dr. Howard Riley Raper's public campaign to prevent toothache.

Dr. Howard Riley Raper (1886-1978) was an early oral health pioneer and dental roentgenology faculty member of the Indiana Dental College (IDC) who single-handedly introduced key concepts in radiology to dentistry. Due to his efforts, IDC became in 1910-11 the first dental school to have a regular course in dental radiology. Virtually all American dental schools soon added this subject to their regular curriculum. Raper's text, Elementary and Dental Radiography (1913) became the first comprehensive student textbook of dental X-ray diagnosis. In his 1933 Blue Book entitled, The New Aim in the Care of the Teeth, Raper elaborated upon his mission to prevent caries, by comparing the insidious damages of tooth decay with the threat of insect-borne disease.

John Peter Zenger's fight for freedom of the press: halitosis exposed.

In the fall of 1732, William Cosby, a member of the British aristocracy, became the colonial governor of New York. As an incompetent, tyrannical and self-serving ruler, he quickly alienated the citizens of New York and, as a result, a core group instigated a broad-based popular uprising against him. In November 1733, John Peter Zenger (1697-1746) published his first issue of the New York Weekly Journal, which would soon become a political organ of those who attempted to bring Cosby down. Zenger's Journal contained particularly offensive attacks on Governor Cosby. They included biting personal jabs, which were judged as being quite inappropriate. The governor was described as having "loathsome false teeth and an unclean mouth." Circulating first-hand reports stated that he possessed a chronic case of the most offensive halitosis. In November 1734, Zenger was arrested and jailed for seditious libel. Fortunately for Zenger, he was defended by the colony's most prominent attorney, Andrew Hamilton. One day later, after only ten minutes of jury deliberation, Zenger was found not guilty. This famous first victory, later called the "germ of American freedom", paved the way to First Amendment Rights in America.

Your tooth it ain't so purty but it's gen-u-ine: Cole Porter's comic song "Snagtooth Gertie".

Cole Porter (1891-1964), an American musical icon, has been internationally acknowledged as one of the most cosmopolitan, sophisticated, elegant and influential composer-lyricists of the 20th century. Born in Indiana and raised in wealth and privilege, he attended both Yale and Harvard universities where he honed his song-writing skills. In his 800 tunes, many of which became smash hits, he blended fresh, witty, urbane and colloquial lyrics with catchy, singable melodies. He composed musical scores for both Broadway stage and Hollywood movies, but focused on the former. While Porter enjoyed penning comic songs, he rarely had them published. In 1946, Cole wrote the music and lyrics for a Broadway show entitled Around the World in Eighty Days. Deemed a failure, it closed after only 75 performances. One light-hearted ditty, "Snagtooth Gertie", which he composed for the show, was never used. The lyrics are presented for the first time in this paper.

Dental engravings created after works by Adriaen Brouwer: 17th century Flemish genre artist.

Adriene Brouwer (1605/6-1638), a Flemish genre and landscape painter, was prototypical Bohemian. An artist who lived and acted with disregard for conventional rules of behavior, he produced works which often shocked the staid citizenry of his times. This article examines two dentally-oriented etchings crafted by Brouwer. "The Operation" portrays separate scenes in which two lowly tradesmen--a chiropodist and a peasant toothdrawer--are simultaneously at work in the opposite ends of the same room. A second etching, "Peasant Doctoring the Foot of Another Peasant", accentuates the edentulous facial features, both of the suffering patient and of the operator.