The Claims of Dentistry

The Claims of Dentistry is an 1872 address by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894), the Harvard professor of anatomy, physician, and famous American essayist, delivered at the commencement of the Harvard Dental School. Holmes had supported the founding of the school in 1867, one of the first university dental schools in the world, and the address argues for dentistry’s standing as a learned profession allied to medicine rather than a mere mechanical trade. He surveys the history of dental practice, the scientific foundations of the field, and the public health importance of dental care, in the witty and quotable style that marked all his occasional addresses. The piece is a primary document for the professionalisation of American dentistry. Free PDF download available on BDeBooks.