Elixirs of the Past: Quackery, Claims and Cures - Snake oil and Indian liniment.

M. Jaafar, R. Vafamansouri, M.Tareen, D. Kamel, V.C. Ayroso, F. Tareen, A.I. Spielman.  J. Hist. Dent. (Accepted for 2022 publication) 

Quackery, Claims and Sures – Elixers of the Past”

Electricity

Emily Kakos B.A., Mike Jaafar, Vaughn C. Ayroso s B.S., M.S., Andrew Vorrath B.A., Fareed Tareen B.S. Dental Students – NYU College of Dentistry

Elixirs of the Past: Quackery, Claims and Cures - The Use of Opium 

Fareed Tareen, Vaughn Ayroso, Manal Tareen, Mike Jaffar, Emily Kakos, Dina Kamal, and Andrew I. Spielman

NYU Dentistry | Journal of the History of Dentistry 2021  & Symposium, Dept. of Molecular Pathobiology, NYU, May 21, 2021.

Quackery in medicine is as old as medicine itself. In times of crisis, desperate patients often believe extraordinary claims. In the annals of pain-killer quack medicine, elixirs, nostrums and liniments hold a prominent position. NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD) has a collection of 234 bottles of such medicines dating from the mid-1800s through 1940. This paper is the second in a series of articles featuring “Elixirs of the Past” in which we bring to light five more samples containing opium: Dr. B.J. Kendall’s Instant Relief for Pain, Dr. Munn’s Elixir of Opium, Dill’s Balm of Life, Foley’s Pain Relief, and Brown’s Instant Relief for Pain. These are just five examples out of countless syrups, nostrums, balm or liniments that contained narcotics and were linked to overdose, addiction and sometimes death. In 1906, Congress enacted The Pure Food and Drug Act to stop unsubstantiated medicinal claims and control the use of addictive substances. The modern-day use of internet advertisements to make unsupported claims is in some ways even more brazen than the advertisements from a century ago. Indeed, the recent widespread use of prescription painkillers, along with the resulting epidemic in opiate addiction that has caused upwards of 50,000 deaths is a case in point.

Instruction sur les maladies des gencives et des dents (1782, 1st Ed. and 1793) - [Instruction on gingival and dental diseases]

https://dental.nyu.edu/aboutus/rare-book-collection/18-c/antonio-carnelli.html

Examining the Opposing & Supporting Views on Dental Therapists: An Overview

Wayne State University | Senior Capstone, 2018

Abstract: Our discussion sought out to examine the major points brought forth by both sides of the dental therapist argument. First, a brief description of dental therapists and their general roles were described. In our results, we examined several common opposing viewpoints expressed by dentists. These included supporting arguments for the lack of patient acceptance and the clinical competence of dental therapists. Other opposing viewpoints highlighted by various dental organizations were then discussed. The mention of The Surgeon General’s report of May 2000 which indicated that dental diseases are a silent epidemic segued into the discussion of supporting viewpoints. The initial argument discussed was in regards to dental therapists improving access in a public health context. The discussion on dental therapists’ clinical competence was then revisited in the supporting arguments as well. Finally, we discussed the role of dental therapists focusing on pediatric dental patients. The paradigm shift within the American dental care system due to dental therapists was further elaborated upon. 

The Nur of Innovation: Shedding Light on the Medical Advancements of The Islamic Golden Age

IMANA | Short Communication Submission, 2016

Abstract: The Nur of Innovation: Shedding Light on the Medical Advancements of The Islamic Golden Age was a research paper submitted to IMANA's research competition. In this short communication, I examined how the notable medical advancements of the Islamic Golden Age evidently laid the foundation for many modern medical common practices. The paper highlights key figures such as Al-Zahrawi, the father of modern surgery; Razi, chemist, and physician, among others. The origins of the modern hospital and medical school can also be traced to the time of the Islamic Golden Age. Above all, it was intriguing to find evidence of early dental practices. 

Fight the Fright: Dental Fear Alleviation for Children

Western Student Research Conference, 2014

Shils Fund Annual Dental Student Competition, 2019

Abstract: Fight the Fright: Dental Fear Alleviation for Children consisted of a literature review that examined dentalphobia. The goal was to allow the literature review to guide the process of innovating the experience of a patient with dentalphobia through a product design solution. Dental fear was thoroughly researched and highlighted. Several possible interventions for dental fear found in the literature were also introduced. These potential interventions included improving doctor-patient relationships, self-training programs for patients, etc.  The final product of this research was the conceptualization of the Invisible-Needle-Syringe. The Invisible-Needle-Syringe design was specifically targeted toward pediatric patients of a modern dental clinic.

Evolution of the Human Masticatory System: An Illustration of Form Follows Function Found Within Nature

Western University | Research Methodology Course, 2014

Abstract: The human masticatory system is comprised of dentition, the mandible, and its respective muscles of mastication. Throughout evolutionary time, as the function of the masticatory system evolved, so has its form. This evolutionary change is parallel to the 20th-century design principle "Form Follows Function." Form follows function is utilized by modern designers, but it has forever been the cornerstone of Natural Selection. This short communication highlights some of the many evolutionary changes within the human masticatory system and demonstrates their correlation with the principle of Form Follows Function.