History
Dentistry: then and now
by Julie Sugita

Students who entered the School of Dentistry in 1953 work at the bench in the dental laboratory.

Then: "The golden age of dentistry"
When the 42 students of the class of 1957 entered the "halls" of the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in 1953, it was the culmination of the efforts of many foresighted and industrious individuals that together made up the early ranks of the National Association of Adventist Dentists, formed in the summer of 1943 in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

These early mentors sought to build and support a school of dentistry that would form the foundation from which Seventh-day Adventists could receive state-of-the-art-training in dentistry in a setting that would foster and further their beliefs.

In 1949, NASDAD members voted to proceed with financial support for a dental school. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists led by President W.H. Branson followed with official action in 1951 after feasibility was determined by Dr. M. Webster Prince.

The first class, composed of 42 men from all over the United States, were from all different walks of life. Some had transferred from other dental schools such as the Universities of Washington and Oregon, and some were professors of math, education, and biology in well-established careers.

Many were in their early 30s and married, and the entire class, by virtue of its mission, was Seventh-day Adventist. Hope was placed on the shoulders of this class that many would stay and develop a faculty base for the coming years.

The class of 1957 spent their first day in dental school having their own teeth examined by a faculty that consisted of four members-Dr. M. Webster Prince, Dr. Ralph R. Steinman, Dr. W. Ross Stromberg, and Dr. Lloyd Baum. As Prince Hall would not be finished for another two years, a grand total of 10 dental chairs were available for patients in the basement of the pathology building on the "Hill." A fully reclining dental chair was not developed until 1958. As exemplified by Dr. Prince himself, clinic attire consisted of a tie as well as the mandatory white clinic coat.

The School gained accreditation early. Gold foil became a "standard" that Loma Linda University School of Dentistry excelled in and developed a reputation for, though acrylic resin materials were being developed with Oskar Hagger, in 1949, creating a system of bonding acrylic to dentin, and Michael Buonocore, in 1955, describing an acid-etch technique. The slow-speed drill was the only type available as the first high-speed Airotor would not be for sale by S.S. White until after graduation of the class in 1957. Instruments were "cold-sterilized" between patients and procedures, though many fondly reminisce about the days of the "dark drawer" technique. Masks and gloves for procedures were virtually unheard of except for some surgical procedures.

Tuition was approximately $1,800 a year and it has been said that the class members were not allowed to work during the first two years of their education. Each of the 42 members of the 1953 inaugural class were male; 39 would finish.

Upon graduation, 7 members would join the specialty of orthodontics and 1 would become an oral surgeon-about 20 percent of the class becoming specialists.

One of these orthodontic specialists, Dr. Roland D. Walters, would eventually chair the Department of Orthodontics for more than 20 years. At the time, the American Dental Association recognized seven dental specialties, with endodontics and dental radiology being recognized later.

Many would stay on after graduation as faculty for a period, some joined the Armed Forces as the Korean War was in full force, and many entered into mission service as well.

Most would start their own dental practice with $20,000 being considered more than adequate to fully equip a four-operatory practice including instruments and furnishings.

Then... 1953 The population of the United States in 1953 was approximately 160 million, with its citizens able to look forward to a life expectancy of 68.8 years. The federal debt was $266 billion while unemployment was at 3 percent. The average age of marriage was 22.8 years, and the cost of mailing the wedding invitations was $0.03 for a stamp. There had yet to be a televised presidential debate on the television, and no one "surfed" the "net" as not only the Internet but the personal computer had yet to be created. In addition to the entrance of the first class for the School of Dentistry, 1953 was host to many other "firsts." The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1953 was awarded to Fritz Zernike for the development of the "phase contrast" microscope, while Dr. Jonas Salk began inoculating children against the dreaded polio virus. Sir Edmund Hilary reached the top of Mt. Everest on May 29. The first successful open heart surgery was performed in Philadelphia, while Watson and Crick discovered the double-helix structure and sequence to genetic material called DNA.

Now... "The era of esthetics"
In being the 50th class to start their dental education at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, the class of 2007 faces a profession that may appear vastly different from the one their counterparts faced in 1953 during their freshman year.

School of Dentistry incoming dental and dental hygiene classes arrived for orientation on September 16, 2003, 50 years after the School's first class.

Ninety new students arrived along with three returning students and two who transferred from another School in the University. There are 57 men and 38 women in this class, coming from more than 24 colleges and universities. Twenty-three students received predental education at La Sierra University. Included in the class are two dental hygienists, one physical therapist, one respiratory therapist, and five clinical medical scientists. Coming from nine countries, 21 in the class are international students. In class of 2007, there are four African American students, four Hispanic students, and 43 students with an Asian heritage. There are 75 students who are Seventh-day Adventist with 15 students representing a number of other Christian denominations.

Rather than only four faculty to greet the students on their first day, the class of 2007 has about 90 full-time and 220 part-time faculty to remember, with approximately 120 main clinic chairs in which to seat their patients in Prince Hall. This is in addition to specialty clinics at the School such as endodontics, dental anesthesia, oral surgery, prosthodontics and oral implantology, orthodontics, radiology, pediatrics, periodontics, and dental hygiene. Gone is the tie and white coat, as scrubs and fluid impervious gown are appropriate clinic attire, with casual clothes acceptable for the classroom. Gloves for all procedures, wrap-around eyewear for both operator and patient, and facial masks are required as well.

Upon entering dental school in 2003, students will find tuition rates approaching $31,000 per year with additional instrument, book, and clinic fees of $7,000.

According to the Loma Linda University Student Financial Aid Office, the class of 2007 has borrowed approximately $3.1 million for this current year, with most of the students taking out a full living allowance in loans.

The $20,000 that would indulgently establish a new practice in 1957 would barely cover the expense of a single operatory for the class of 2007. Though the American Dental Association now, in 2003, recognizes nine dental specialties, about 20 percent of this class will prepare to enter a specialty program upon graduation, a figure similar to the first class. The class of 2007 can also look forward to approximately 31 percent of its members beginning their dental careers as associates/non-owners while the remaining 69 percent buy/start solo practices or join partnerships.

As the U.S. population ages and baby-boomers approach 65 years of age, people are keeping their natural teeth longer and healthier, and are more conscious of esthetics and function. And though changes in technology and costs seem to emphasize vast differences in the dental classes entering in 1957 and 2007, the similarities become more striking upon closer scrutiny. The basic principles of form and function, esthetics and design prac- ticed with care and compassion are prevalent and still emphasized by the teachings of Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

As the 50th class to enter this profession at LLUSD, the focus has not faded in the years since the original class stepped into the "halls"-it has indeed become clearer, being built upon the works and efforts of those who have gone before.

Now... 2003 The class size being a fairly adequate reflection, the U.S. population has grown, too, since 1953. Estimates approach 290 million, almost twice the level of 1953. The average life expectancy for men and women is 77 years, and 5.8 percent of those growing older are unemployed. Federal debt figures are passing $6.2 trillion, and 98% of households can watch as many presidential debates as they want on their average 2.4 televisions per household; 56% of these households now "surf" the Internet on computers not even dreamt of in 1953, and save $0.37 per stamp by paying their bills online. The average age of marriage in 2003 is 26.9 years. Polio is now unheard of, but vaccines are still in the forefront-this time for diseases like Parkinson's, AIDS, and cancer. The 1953 Nobel Prize-winning "phase contrast" microscope is widely used in research by School of Dentistry, and one can only imagine how students 50 years from now will use theories of superconductivity, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2003. This was awarded to researchers from the United States and Russia-something improbable in 1953 as well. In 2003, researchers found striking similarities in genome sequencing between mouse and human DNA, building upon the brilliant discovery of Watson and Crick in 1953.