Tongue 'n' Cheek

America’s First Dental Hygienist
In 1905, Fones and Newman made history When he taught her to clean children’s teeth By removing plaque & tartar which she found in abundance Circling each little tooth like a wreath.

Pilot Program
While Ms. Newman taught the children how to keep their pearlies looking white, Dr. Fones scheduled the youngsters for periodic appointments – what we now call recall! Soon the drop in kiddie caries was self-evident So, the good Doc set about making dental prophylaxis available to Bridgeport schoolchildren, one and all.

Another American First
In 1913, having demonstrated the effectiveness of his caries- prevention programs,
Dr. Fones established a formal, two-year school for dental hygienists. While a garage behind his carriage-house office was the venue Don’t let the modesty of the facility fool you.

Fat Chance
Picture this: It’s 1913, For still-disenfranchised females, the right to vote is out of the question; Yet some crazy Connecticut dentist wants to set up a school To teach WOMEN a brand-new dental profession!

Front Line Soldiers in the War on Caries
In 1915, the inaugural class of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene Produced 27 history-making graduates – an event without precedent! Many found immediate employment in the Bridgeport school district where they reduced childhood dental caries by a whopping 75 percent!

Excerpted from The Dental Patient's Little Book of History, Humor and Trivia © 2006 Donald M. Dible. Reprinted by permission. Available by phone at 1-800-BOOK-LOG or at www.dmdhousebooks.com Don is the coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Dental Soul.