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HISTOLT OF DENTAL SURGEEY : 1-33

A name that will embrace both these ideas is 'dental-prosthesis.' Some have
changed the form of the phrase to 'prosthetic dentistry.' The other is the
better phrase, we think. * * *
"It will probably be used ere long to the exclusion of the term 'mechanical
dentistry/ " is a prophesy that may now be looked upon as fulfilled, at least
in this country.
The word "operative-dentistry" suggests operations upon the natural
teeth for their preservation. The attempt to embrace all operations, whether
done upon the hard or soft tissues of the mouth, in the name of "oral surgery,"
is not concurred in. It was suggested that "oral surgery" may well be ap-
plied to all operations of the soft and hard parts in and immediately about
the mouth, but that the nature of the operations upon the teeth entitles them
to a distinctive name. The committee's report closes with this remark
"The great difficulty that lies in the way of changes such as are suggested
is found not so much in the question whether they are correct or not, as in the
carelessness and want of attention by those who should be interested to make
progress and secure the best form of distinctive literature."
Dr. C. E. Francis, in an article published in the "Dental Register," of
1883, on "Nomenclature,'' says:
"Refinement, culture and well-stored intellect are requirements of great
value to even those who are endowed witli natural mechanical tact.
"The common practice of iip|ilying tlie term 'nerve" to dentinal pulp, is
a senseless misnomer. Aside from correctness of expression, it is certainly
more euphonious to say the 'superior first molar' than the 'upper six 3'ear old
"
molar." It is easier to say 'superior cuspid' than 'upper eye-tooth.'
In the "Dental Cosmos" of 188.5 is a paper by Dr. W. 0. Kulp, of Daven-
port, Iowa, upon "Xomenclature,"' or rather the lack of a systenuitic nomen-
clature. In this he explains a system adopted by him while teacliing opera-
tive dentistry, which proved very satisfactory to him, and very effective and
satisfactory to the majority of the students. The report, which can be found
on page 597 of the "Cosmos" for that year, gives the names of the teeth,
their surfaces and divisions of surface. It is the first recorded attempt
at systematizing names in dentistry, but very limited in its extent.
In the discussion of this paper Dr. Taft said that the nominations sug-
gested by Dr. Kulp were more definite than had been offered previously, and
that although some of the terms had been used before, they had never been
systematized as in this paper. Dr. Taft suggested that for the purpose of