Dr. James Long
From the Desk of the Foundation President
Although the history of dentistry pre-dates Babylonian times, not much is known about how it was practiced until the 18th century. We can thank Dr. Pierre Fauchard for giving us a great deal of information about dentistry and how it was practiced during the 18th century, including the "tooth worm" theory. Some examples of equipment used in that era still exist. For example, in my den I have an S.S.W. foot pedal dental drill that was manufactured in the 1800s, complete with cord and hand piece--and it works! Not in my wildest imagination can I envision myself standing on one leg and pedaling with the other while trying to put a margin on an inlay preparation. Not only that, but in all probability, the patients who underwent drilling with this device were not given a local anesthetic.
You Fellows reading this article have never practiced operative dentistry in this fashion, nor have I. In dental school we used the old traditional belt-driven handpiece. My first introduction to the Borden Air Rotor was at Lackland Air Force Base in 1959. Now we have air turbine and electric handpieces, and the list goes on and on. The advances made in dental materials have been astronomical, especially in bonded restorative materials, implants, and periodontal care.
Changes in methods of advertising dental services also have changed dramatically. A few years ago, the lettering on the front of your office building could be no taller than 3 inches. Now we see neon signs, huge highway roadside billboards, and full-page newspaper ads; the ones I see most often are "Got a Toothache--Call Dr. Feelgood," "False Teeth Made While You Wait," and "Get Your Smile Back." In my humble opinion, this type of advertising lowers our profession in the eyes of the public and perhaps makes us seem more like a "trade."
Changes in our Code of Ethics also have occurred and are now part of the dental school curriculum. Our diplomas state that we are a Doctor of Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine, which implies that when treating our patients, we must consider the patient as a whole and remember that on the other end of that tooth is one of God's children. As for advertising, it does not get any better than to have patients walk out of your office happy with their treatment because they know they were treated as you would want them to treat you. Remember the Golden Rule!
We dentists have inherited a formidable responsibility. Things change and we have to adjust or we will be changed. Even so, all change is not good. Having practiced dentistry for 51 years, I cannot begin to comprehend what our profession will be like when some of you Fellows have been in practice for that long.
I will conclude these remarks by noting that a couple of weeks ago my wife and I attended a function at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry at which the junior students were honored. I have never heard so many Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude designations awarded in one place. These students are the future of our profession--mentor them well.
Dr. Jim Long, DDS
President of the Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy
From the Desk of the Foundation Executive Director
Donations, Grants and Scholarships
"For a number of years our organization has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with FPFA [Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy], and with their assistance we have provided oral health education and restorative dental services to some of the poorest of our brothers and sisters throughout various countries in Central America.... We have recently completed our dental brigade to Panama.
"Our focus in 2010 will not only continue to Panama, but will hopefully extend to the San Francisco de Macoris area of the Dominican Republic."
A. Stanley Kosan, DDS
Hope for a Healthier Humanity
"The (Volunteer Ministry) Clinic provided services to homeless people in 450 visits. These visits provided 811 total procedures including 145 fillings, 392 extractions, and 26 sets of dentures. Our clinic is the only resource in the city for individuals with no income who are in need.
"We are very grateful to the Pierre Fauchard Academy (Foundation) for their continuing support. With your support we are able to provide much needed dental care to this underserved population."
Ginny Weatherstone
Volunteer Ministry Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
Laura Fleming Doyle
Shown above are just two responses from recipients of Foundation grant funding in 2009. It is through your generous donations that the Foundation is able to continue to provide support to these and other outstanding projects that are focused on providing dental care to those less fortunate around the world.
Your donations also help provide scholarships to dental students from around the world who not only have a need for financial support but also have demonstrated great potential for developing into outstanding leaders in the profession because of their participation in the University, dental school, or community. Scholarship recipients are above-average students who possess qualities of integrity, imagination, initiative, and communicative skills. In 2009 the Foundation was able to honor 57 U.S. and 20 international students with scholarship funding.
2010 Donations Now Accepted Online
We are excited and pleased to announce that the Foundation can now accept donations online. Go to https://www.fauchard.org/foundation/donations/donate.php to support the important work of the Foundation. Your donations enable the Foundation to grant funds to (1) support important international projects that provide dental care to persons who otherwise would probably never receive it and (2) provide much-needed support to outstanding dental students around the world.
Thank you in advance for your ongoing support. Be sure to check out the Foundation Web site for more stories about how your donor dollars were spent in 2009.
Laura Fleming Doyle, CAE
Executive Director
Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy
1510 Judd Ct
Herndon VA 20170
Phone: (703) 597-8847
Fax: (703) 564-3750
e-mail: laura@fauchard.org
Foundation is Now Accepting Grant Applications for 2010
The Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy is pleased to announce that the 2010 Grant Program is now accepting applications.
The Foundation has made significant changes to the process this year, the first being that all submissions will be electronic as opposed to using paper and the U.S. Postal Service. All grant information is posted online at http://www.fauchard.org/foundation/grants.html.
More importantly for the PFA Sections, we have created a simplified application process for grants sponsored by a PFA Section. PFA Sections can apply for grants up to $5000 to fund projects that will benefit the dental profession and the public it serves and that are consistent with the Goals, Objectives, and Restrictions of the Foundation. Although the Foundation remains flexible enough to consider innovative projects in all areas of dentistry, including practice and education, it places special emphasis on programs that increase access and provide care to the deserving but inadequately served public.
All information regarding our Grants Program is located on our Web site at http://www.fauchard.org/foundation/grants.html.
The link to the Grant Instructions for PFA Sections is http://www.fauchard.org/foundation/Section-Instructions.pdf.
The link to the PFA Section Grant Application Form is http://www.fauchard.org/foundation/Section-Application.pdf.
The deadline for submitting an application is June 1, 2010. Please let PFA Foundation Executive Director Laura Doyle know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.