American academy of gold foil operators
by Clyde Roggenkamp
Dr. Lloyd Baum, professor emeritus, and Clyde Roggenkamp, SD’70, MSD, associate professor, restorative, attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Gold Foil Operators in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 10 to 13.
Direct gold restorations, an inspiring feature at these meetings, are
performed on location in a study club type setting. Thirteen restorations
were placed by members at the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD)
clinic. They transported their own instruments and materials to the site
despite currently restrictive airport security. A member from Germany
performed an occlusal gold foil on an upper second molar. Each finished
direct gold restoration was impressive, some by well-known professionals
such as Dr. R.V Tucker from Bellingham, Washington. Slides were taken
of each beginning, preparation, and final restoration steps and shown
at a follow-up session in which the individual operators provided personal
critiques of their restorations and answers to questions from the general
membership.
Dr. Gordon Christiansen from Clinical Research Associates lectured on
current strengths and weakness of porcelain and indirect resin restorations
including many newer cements and luting agents and offered the opinion
that dental amalgam usage in the U.S. may be severely curtailed by political
pressure some time in the future.
Dr. Steven Duke, chair of dental materials, IUSD, presented his research
opinions about the importance of operator understanding and handling relative
to the success of various composite resin formulations and recent-generation
bonding agents. He also described some new products being tested in their
research clinic.
Dr. Frederick Eichmiller, director, Paffenbarger Research Center at the
National Institute of Science and Technology in Washington, DC, presented
an update on the political status and direction of dental amalgam in America.
He reported that there is a renewed effort by groups of anti-amalgamists
who have been unable to make progress against the use of dental amalgam
to obtain federal legislation inhibiting the use of mercury by trying
an environmental safety approach. The dental profession, even though a
relatively small contributor, is being lumped into the same category as
big industry for rigid mercury controls. This would involve federal and
local inspectors measuring the amount of mercury in the effluent waste
water from dental clinics. The extremely low standard of allowable mercury
being proposed is based on the lowest level seen in pristine lakes in
northern Canada. The ordinary relatively harmless natural form of mercury
used in dentistry is not distinguished from the toxic methylated form.
Dr. Eichmiller said no actual systemic harm has been conclusively borne
out by published research at present levels. Anti-amalgamists and environmentalists
have not based their claims on scientific reason and instead rely on public
misconceptions and emotional statements. In any event, direct gold foil
restorations continue to offer a non-toxic, excellent, long-lasting alternative
to amalgam.
AAGFO this year presented its Distinguished Member Award to Dr. Melvin
Lund, who was a restorative professor at Loma Linda until 1971 and who
has since served on the staff at IUSD. His acceptance speech included
the background and history of gold foil. Part of his lecture included
a recently made videotape by Dr. Baum describing how EZ Gold’s gold
foil wrapped, powdered gold pellets are hand made in his home. EZ Gold
is available for purchase in 1/10- and 1/20-ounce vials from Dr. Baum
directly or through the R.V. Williams Dental Gold company.
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All rights reserved. Revised February 14, 2001
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