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Innovation in Prosthodontics: A History of Articulators, Dentures, and Occlusion

The ACP is proud to announce a brand-new book available for pre-order through May 28, titled “Innovation in Prosthodontics: A History of Articulators, Dentures, and Occlusion.”

This new limited-edition, printed volume is a compilation of 42 historical articles from the Journal of Prosthodontics, including 5 previously unpublished papers, covering the evolution of theories of occlusion, instrumentation, and denture tooth development. The idea for this collection originated at the 1998 ACP Annual Session in San Diego and Dr. Edgar Starcke was invited to create a section for the Journal devoted to dental instrumentation. This evolved to include articles on the history and development of denture teeth and denture occlusion.

Edited by Drs. Edgar Starcke, Robert Engelmeier, and Rodney Phoenix, this volume is intended to be a historical record for the prosthodontic profession and an exploration of our present understanding of the philosophies of mandibular movement, occlusion, and the instrumentation needed to achieve their objectives.

From the Forward by Dr. Thomas Taylor: “The history of articulation and theories of occlusion are fascinating demonstrations of human imagination and ingenuity that are clearly described in the chapters of this offering … Drs. Engelmeier and Starcke have assembled a truly amazing amount of historical documentation and tell the story with a clarity and passion that are impressive. These chapters read almost like novellas or short stories about us and where we have come from.”

This print collection is now available for preorder in the ACP store. You must pre-order the book to ensure you will receive a copy. Pre-orders close on May 28, and books will be shipped in July.

You can read a preview, and order your copy today!

Please Note: We are currently unable to fulfill product orders being shipped outside of the United States due to various international mail restrictions.

A special message from Dr. Robert Engelmeier:

The origin of this commemorative book project can be traced to an invitation, some twenty years ago by Dr. Pat Lloyd, then editor of the 'Journal of Prosthodontics,' to Dr. Ed Starcke. Ed was asked to create and edit a new historical section for the Journal. Following a very positive readership response, material in this section was expanded from the origins of articulators and understanding of mandibular movement to also include the development of artificial teeth and philosophies of denture occlusion. At this point, the two co-authors, Drs. Bob Engelmeier and Rod Phoenix joined this effort.

This historical odyssey would not have been possible were it not for the extensive archival dental library at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental School. The authors had access to browse dental texts from the early eighteenth century as well as complete sets of journals from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Besides images uncovered in these archives, these articles have been profusely illustrated with photographs from several private as well as manufacturers collections, and finally the US Patent Database.

The intention of these articles has been to gather and preserve as much as possible a history of the theories and efforts of the prosthodontic innovators for our specialty. Our purpose has been to chronical our origins and how we have arrived at our present state.

We have been honored by the American College of Prosthodontists which has selected our series to be assembled into a book commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of this prestigious organization. We are indebted to the editorial staffs of the Journal of Prosthodontics and the American College of Prosthodontists for their invaluable assistance and support which have enabled this project to become a reality.

- Robert L. Engelmeier, DMD, MS, FACP, FAAMP

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