Medical Humanities Commons^™

The Racial Politics Of Early Dentistry And The Terrible “Toothache Blues”, Bronwen Mcveigh Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

In interwar America, the relatively young profession of dentistry was developing rapidly. As the government, health institutions, and social organizers focused more intently on notions of national wellness, questions about how to achieve a healthy smile—and what a healthy smile should look like—proliferated. Groups like the National Dental Association worked to establish rigorous standards of technique, define ethical behavior, and encourage dentists to develop business acumen, yet the surprising proliferation of blues songs about dubious dentists tricking unassuming clients, or about fraught love affairs allegorized by disastrous dental exams, highlights the equivocal nature of many developments in early dentistry.

This …

The Dental Phantom As A Tool For Exploring Fear, The Face, And Dental Education, Christine Slobogin Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental phantoms have been used in dental education since the late nineteenth century. These pedagogical objects – particularly those from the first half of the twentieth century – have today enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the art and film worlds. After first outlining the history and pedagogical purposes of the dental phantom, this article examines what the artistic and filmic attractions to the aesthetics of these objects can tell us about fear, the mouth and the face, and dental education. How and why can a dental teaching tool be scary? Arriving at some answers to this question – reached …

A Dental Clinical Humanities Program At Uthealth Houston School Of Dentistry: The First Ten Years And Future Directions, Angela P. Gomez Edd, Mba, Ms, Deborah R. Franklin Dds, Lpc, Ctts, Nathan Carlin Phd, Joelle Robertson-Preidler Phd, Hec-C

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Dental Clinical Humanities Certificate Program was implemented 10 years ago at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry to expose dental students to dental humanities content and engage them in educational experiences exploring oral health care through humanities lenses, providing insight into the human condition and patient-centered approaches. With more than 30 students having graduated from the program, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the exit surveys previously distributed at the end of each academic year. The exit survey focused on their general program feedback, including the effects of dental humanities as an academic enterprise, cultivating their self-knowledge and serving …

The Pent-Up Demand For Humanities And Ethics In Dentistry, Nathan Carlin, Nanette Elster, Catherine Flaitz, Nicholas Mercado Drph, Ms, Laurie Munro, Chelsey Patten, Joelle Robertson-Preidler, Margie Hodges Shaw Jd, Ma, Phd, Christine Slobogin Phd, Matthew Wynia, Michael Yunker Dds

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Editorial is a feature in each issue of the JACD. It includes commentary on issue content, relevant topics, or other items of interest to the fellowship.

The Vipeholm Experiments: A Case Study Of Unethical Dental Research, Lainie Ross Md, Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Modern-day research ethics training often begins with a discussion of the medical research atrocities committed by Nazi health care professionals and the resulting 10-principle Nuremberg Code, which is often considered to be the beginning of modern-day medical research regulations. It is occasionally mentioned that Nazi dentists also conducted unethical research in the concentration camps, and a few were brought to trial. In this manuscript, I compare two studies (one medical and one dental) conducted after World War II that violated the Nuremberg Code.

I describe and compare the well-known Willowbrook Hepatitis studies conducted by infectious disease doctors on vulnerable institutionalized …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2a

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care. The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Integrating Music Therapy Into Dental Clinics For Whole Person Care, Dana Osterling Benoit Mba, Mt-Bc, Nisreen Al Jallad Dds, Ms2, Shasha Cui Ed.D. Mba, Mandy Fraser, Gaelen Mccormick Mm1, Rosemary Oliva Obi Ms, Lcat, Mtbc1, Adela Planerova Dds, Ms2, Madeline Vinolus Mt-Bc1, Angela Valeria Perez Pita Dds, Ms2

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This case study describes the integration of a board-certified music therapist into two specialty dental clinics at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Initiated in collaboration with the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center, the effort reflects a humanistic and biopsychosocial approach to dentistry that leverages music therapy to reduce anxiety, improve patient experience, and support better clinical outcomes.

Before implementation, monthly interdisciplinary planning meetings were held, bringing together dental faculty, research and administrative staff, and the music therapy team. These meetings built a shared understanding of each clinic’s unique patient population, workflow, and clinical priorities, …

Observation, Analysis, Compassion, William J. Maloney Dds, Pgcertmed, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Drawing on examples from literature, art, and history, this article argues that optimal health care rests on a triad of observation, analysis, and compassion. Referencing physician-writers and keen observers such as Anton Chekhov, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Leonardo da Vinci, the discussion illustrates how careful attention to the human condition enhances diagnostic insight and ethical care. In the context of unprecedented global migration and strained health care systems, clinicians are challenged to move beyond technical competence toward a deeper understanding of patients’ fears, cultural barriers, and dignity. At the intersection of careful observation, thoughtful analysis, and genuine compassion, the highest …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Letters To The Editor

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This section of the Journal of the American College of Dentists presents professional correspondence regarding previously published articles and issues relevant to dentistry, ethics, education, policy, and patient care. Letters to the editor provide readers an opportunity to offer scholarly critique, clarification, perspective, or additional insight, while author responses promote constructive academic dialogue and continued professional reflection.

The letters in this issue respond to the JACD article “The Racial Politics of Early Dentistry and the Terrible ‘Toothache Blues’” (Vol. 92, No. 2).

Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, Civil War Hero, Peter H. Jacobsohn Dds, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This article examines the overlooked Civil War contributions of Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, the dentist best known as the Father of Surgical Anesthesia. While Morton’s role in introducing ether anesthesia to surgery is well documented, his service as a volunteer anesthetist for the Union Army remains largely unrecognized in Civil War literature. Drawing on contemporary accounts, letters, and eyewitness descriptions, the article highlights Morton’s presence on major battlefields, where he administered ether to thousands of wounded soldiers. His work dramatically reduced surgical pain, improved morale, and marked the earliest example of organized military anesthesia in American history.

Practicing Dentistry And The Piano: Reflections On Coaching, Feedback, And The Humanities In Dental Education, Sarah E. Grafton Dmd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dentistry is often described as both art and science, yet its pedagogy still leans heavily on technical instruction. Drawing on the author’s personal experience as a lifelong piano student, this paper explores the parallels between learning a musical instrument and developing clinical skills in dental education. Both domains require the integration of mind and hand, repeated practice, and feedback that transform mistakes into growth. Piano training illustrates that mastery emerges not from innate talent but from deliberate practice and the willingness to accept critique. This orientation provides a framework for understanding dental education as coaching rather than didactic instruction. Dental …

The History Of Dr. Suess And European Dentists From The Past: Relevant Lessons In Bioethics For Today, Howard A. Israel Dds, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The works of the author-illustrator Dr. Seuss evoke images of children’s books with moral themes, such as Yertle the Turtle and Horton Hears a Who. The life story of another Dr. Suess has remained relatively unknown. Walter Suess was an extremely talented dentist and musician in Austria. Brilliant and courageous, he became a victim of a morally depraved authoritarian regime and the absence of biomedical ethics during the reign of the Third Reich. The serendipitous discovery of the true story of Dr. Seuss and European dentists from this era offers lessons in bioethics relevant to today.

The Personal, Professional, And Practice: Integrating Health Humanities Into Dental Education, Margie Hodges Shaw Jd, Ma, Phd, Michael Yunker Dds, Nicholas Mercado Drph, Ms

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dentistry’s evolution as a profession reflects both scientific progress and enduring tensions between commercial and service-oriented models of care. Despite long-standing commitments to ethical education, dental training continues to privilege technical mastery over professional identity formation, leaving some future practitioners underprepared for the ethical and relational complexities of clinical practice. This paper situates these challenges within the historical separation of dentistry and medicine and argues that integrating the health humanities into dental education can strengthen professional identity formation and clinical ethics competency. Using a case study, we demonstrate how biases, professional obligations, and patient trust intersect in practice. We introduce …

The Ethical Imperative Of Leadership In Dentistry, Mike Graham, Toni M. Roucka Rn, Dds, Ma, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Leadership is one of the four pillars of the American College of Dentists, taking its place alongside excellence, ethics, and professionalism. Leadership in dentistry carries an inherent ethical responsibility to uphold the trust and well-being of those who depend on us—our patients, our teams, and the community. When leaders in our field exercise their influence, they wield significant power over patient outcomes, industry standards, and public health policy. With this influence comes an imperative to act ethically, to ensure that decisions are guided by a commitment to care, integrity, and the best interests of those we serve. At the heart …

Breaking Down The Silos: Dentistry’S Ethical Responsibility As A Partner In Healthcare, Toni M. Roucka Rn, Dds, Ma, Facd, Scott Tomar Dmd, Drph, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Ethics Summit, Breaking Down the Silos: Dentistry’s Ethical Responsibility as a Partner in Healthcare, was held on September 12-13, 2024, in Rockville, Maryland. Sponsored by the American College of Dentists Foundation (ACDF) and the Santa Fe Group (SFG), this issue of the JACD is dedicated to the proceedings of that important event.