LLU School of Dentistry Journal - winter 2001

Faculty profile

Providing leadership in dental laboratory services
William Heisler

“I am proud of this place! This is an A-number one dental laboratory!” That’s the way Charles W. (Bill) Westrick, PhD, CDT, assistant professor of restorative dentistry, and director of the School of Dentistry dental laboratory services expresses his feelings about the place where he works.

Since coming to the School of Dentistry in January, 1994, upon retiring from the Wilkinson Gold Company, Dr. Westrick has worked to build the School’s dental lab service into the quality operation it is today. When speaking about quality control he states, “Before we can have a quality product, or judge students’ work with a critical eye, we must recognize what quality is.”

This is the concept and value he has promoted throughout the operation with his staff, with students, and with clinical faculty. He spends a portion of his time working directly with the predoctoral students in the clinic in what is known as the Wax Pattern Center.

This is where students come to have dental prostheses checked and approved before sending them for fabrication. Another goal of Bill’s has been to establish improved communication and working relationships with the clinical departments. A good example of the result of this effort is the in-house fabrication of removable orthodontic appliances, such as retainers and arch expanders, for the School’s orthodontic patients.

Of the ten people who make up the dental lab services team, four were already employed by the School when Dr. Westrick arrived. These include: Luis Calvillo, George Dobrota Jr., CDT; Max Hernandez, CDT; and Sheryl Loew. With the retirement of Boyd Bryant, CTD, the lab’s previous director, and the loss of one or two other technicians, he has added Gary Hill, CDT; Mick Ilich, CDT; Kate Johnson, clerk; Teresa Montgomery; and Frank Zimmerman, CDT.

With a cumulative experience of well over 200 years, each of these individuals makes a unique contribution to the success of the laboratory.

Dr. Westrick states, “I definitely feel this is the best team of dental laboratory technicians I have worked with in my entire career.”

That career began in 1949 just after Dr. Westrick finished high school in Phoenix, Arizona, when a friend told him about a job making deliveries for a dental lab. In 1952, he joined the U.S. Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army. He attained a rank of Machinist’s Mate and worked as a steam engineer aboard a destroyer. While in port at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay in 1954, he saw an ad in the San Francisco Examiner (an ad run only one time) seeking to attract students to a two-year dental technology program at University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Westrick left the Navy and completed the dental lab program in 1954.

The next ten years found Dr. Westrick pursuing a multifaceted career of working as a dental technician with Don McQueen, DDS, and the McCollum study group, and teaching dental materials to dental assisting students at Los Angeles City College, as well as in the UCLA program from which he had graduated.

Dr. Westrick (left), and the employees of dental laboratory services take a moment from their work to pose for a group photo. Pictured with Dr. Westrick are (from left): Terry Montgomery; Mick Illich, CDT; George Dobrota Jr., CDT; Frank Zimmerman, CDT; Sheryl Loew; Luis Calvillo; Kate Johnson; Gary Hill, CDT; and Max Hernandez, CDT.

At the same time, he was furthering his own education, earning his bachelor of science degree in education from El Camino College/UCLA in 1960.

In 1964, Dr. Westrick went to work for the Wilkinson Gold Company in Santa Monica,California, where he was in charge of product development and education. During the five years he spent there, he received extensive training in metallurgy.

Then it was back to UCLA, this time to the School of Dentistry where he directed the dental laboratory service for a brief period. He then joined Dentalloy, Inc., in Stanton, California, as executive vice president in charge of sales, a position he held for several years. In 1980, he moved to Houston, Texas, to work for a former employee. Dr. Westrick confides, “That year in Texas was the worst year in my whole life!”

So, when UCLA called with an invitation to return as director of dental lab services, he gladly came back to California. Shortly thereafter he earned his doctor of dental technology degree from Golden State University, followed a year later with the PhD degree. Dr. Westrick continued working at UCLA until his retirement in 1988.

Although technically retired, Dr. Westrick was far from inactive. He returned to the Wilkinson company, serving as general manager of the dental division. During this time, he also worked with aerospace technology, looking for applications with significance to dentistry.

Another facet of his work led to the granting of a patent on a non-oxidizing dental coping metal to which other metals can be cast, for use in metal-ceramic restorations. He also helped design an instrument for the handling of ceramic veneers during seating on a tooth.

At a time when, according to an article soon to be published in the Journal of the California Dental Association, dental laboratory technology education is undergoing challenge and change in California, Dr. Westrick looks with a sense of accomplishment at his involvement in the establishment of programs at San Francisco City College, Los Angeles City College, and Pasadena City College, the latter two which still carry the designation of ADA-accredited dental technology programs.”

He has also followed closely the program at Riverside Community College, where several of the University’s current technicians received their training.

With an annual budget of approximately $500,000, the dental laboratory service is a significant adjunct to the training of dentists and to the service rendered to our patients.

Dr. Westrick’s ability to communicate effectively and his love of teaching have proven to be major contributions to the School of Dentistry mission.

William H. Heisler, SD’59, professor of restorative dentistry, teaches in the International Dentist Program. A tireless crusader for better oral health worldwide Dr. Heisler was named Citizen of the Year, 2000 by the Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce.

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