February 05, 2009
Dental Patent #1: 1876, Dental Articulators
We are beginning a new series which we hope you will enjoy. Some years ago the Dentistry Library had the opportunity to acquire a collection of historic dental patents covering the late 1800s through the early 1900s. The collection is intriguing for several reasons. Most important, the collection includes copies of patents award to such notables of dental history as Claudius Ash, Samuel S. White, and William Taggart.
The collection is of patents from the United Kingdom, but includes a great many American inventors. The reason for this is that it was more difficult to gain patents in the USA, so a common strategy was to first apply for a UK or European continental patent, and to use that patent to establish precedence in the American patent application process. You can find patents from New York, Florida, South Carolina as well as Austria, France and of course England.
The variety of careers represented is also curious. Many of the dental patents actually came not from dentists, but from engineers, jewelers, and people who identified themselves as Gentlemen or Gentlelady.
We have a partial finding aid available:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/pro/dentalpatents/
Currently we are seeking support to complete the finding aid and find new ways to make this unusual collection more available to the public. As we begin this process, for the next few weeks we will highlight one patent per week, illustrating some of the more interesting aspects of the collection.
Our first highlighted patent is the earliest one in the collection, from 1876 on dental articulators.
AUTHOR: Davidson, George Gensee.
CLASS: Dental Articulators.
ADDRESS: 415 Old Kent Road, Lambeth, UK
PROFESSION: Dentist
TITLE: Improvements in the Construction of Dental Articulators
APPLICATION DATE: January 5, 1876
AWARD DATE: April 19, 1876
ACCESS NUMBER: PATENT-UK-1876-45
Here is an image of the key innovation.
Here are other images from this patent.
Let us know what you think of this project. You can send email to the Health Science Libraries at hslibraries@umich.edu, or add comments to this blogpost or the images in Flickr. We look forward to your feedback.
Posted by pfa at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
May 02, 2007
Dental Nanotech in the News
Being highlighted in news reports, a new article from JDR on the use of nanocomposites in dental fillings to improve caries protection and durability.
Scientist Live: Nanocomposites Improve Dental Fillings:
http://www.scientistlive.com/17596/nanocomposites-improve-dental-fillings.thtml
"American researchers show that nanotechnology can help produce tooth restorations that are both stronger than any fillings available today, and more effective at preventing secondary decay."
H.H.K. Xu, M.D. Weir, L. Sun, S. Takagi and L.C. Chow. Effects of calcium phosphate nanoparticles on Ca-PO4 composite, The Journal of Dental Research 86(4):378-383m 2007.
http://jdr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/4/378
NOTE: If you have trouble getting into the article from off-campus, please first login to a Library service such as Mirlyn.
Posted by pfa at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2007
Next Generation Dental Materials - From Beetles?
Bright White Beetle Dazzles Scientists
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=61140
"An obscure species of beetle could teach us how to produce brilliant white ultra-thin materials, according to a research team led by the University of Exeter."
Posted by pfa at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2006
US Water Fluoridation Maps Available
New from the CDC, an interactive map of the United States that allows you to check local water fluoridation levels.
"My Water’s Fluoride allows consumers in currently participating states to learn the fluoridation status of their water system."
To use this map, click first on the state, then on the county, and lastly on the city. Many city entries will also include the option to view the operational reports for that jurisdiction.
CDC: My Water's Fluoride: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/Index.asp
Posted by pfa at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2006
Rollyo: Biomaterials Starter Kit
Made another Rollyo last night. Next time you are searching the web for information on biomaterials, try this and see what you think. Let me know if you have recommendations of other sites that would be better than the ones I selected.
Rollyo: pfa: Biomaterials Starter Kit: http://rollyo.com/pfa/biomaterials_starter_kit/
Posted by pfa at 07:01 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2006
Availability of Software Program to Assess Total Fluoride Exposure
----------- QUOTED MATERIAL ---------------
The NIDCR and NHLBI wish to announce the availability of the Nutrition Data System for Research with Fluoride (NDS-R Fluoride), the first software designed to assess total fluoride exposure of humans from both dietary and non-dietary sources. The software was developed as a new functional model for the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R), a well established computerized database and interview system used by nutrition researchers for collection of dietary information and calculation of nutrient intakes.
The NDS-R Fluoride software is available on a CD-ROM accompanied by a comprehensive Online User Manual fully documenting its features and functionality and providing instructions for its use in a research setting. Training seminars also can be arranged. For information on how to license the NDS-R Fluoride software and the fee schedule contact, please see:
http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DE-06-002.html
For additional questions or information, contact:
María Teresa Canto, DDS, MPH
Director, Health Promotion and Comunity-based Research Program
Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research
NIDCR/NIH/DHHS
Phone: 301-594-5497, E-mail: maria.canto@nih.gov
----------- QUOTED MATERIAL ---------------
Posted by pfa at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2006
Fundamental Research in Materials Science
If you haven't already seen it, the following online book on materials sciences is an impressive overview of the current state of the art. The original publication date was 2001, but most if not all of the content is still of interest.
Max Planck Institutes: European White Book on Fundamental Research in Materials Science: http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/documentation/europWhiteBook/index.html
Posted by pfa at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2006
Promising Strategy for Artificial Bone
Nature Suggests a Promising Strategy for Artificial Bone
" Researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, report they have harnessed the unique physics of sea water as it freezes to guide the production of what could be a new generation of more biocompatible materials for artificial bone.
As published in the January 27 issue of the journal Science, the researchers used this novel technique to produce a thinly layered composite, or hybrid, structure that more closely mimics the natural scaffolding of bone. The scientists said their initial, proof-of-principle scaffolds are desirably ultra lightweight and up to four times stronger than current porous ceramic implant materials."
Posted by pfa at 09:20 PM | Comments (0)