introduction C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 9 , Nº 6
Merging Well-Founded Principles With New Trends in Prosthodontics Evangelos Rossopoulos, DDS
“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” — Plato GUEST EDITOR Evangelos Rossopoulos, DDS, has been practicing prosthodontics in Whittier, Corona and Huntington Beach California since 1987 and he holds faculty positions at UCLA and the Eastman Institute of Oral Health in Rochester, N.Y. He is the president of the American Prosthodontic Society and is a member of the CDA Presents Board of Managers and a prosthodontist lead at CDA Cares. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
T
he term “measure of a man” refers to the character of a person. The character and integrity of a person can be measured by the way they respond to the power they are given. This is true for many aspects of dentistry but especially in the field of prosthodontics. Pierre Fauchard, the father of modern dentistry, replaced missing teeth by carving ivory or bone. Dentists have been introduced to the “power” of many technological advances that greatly shaped the way they serve their patients. As dental professionals, we should always be careful when using these powers to better serve our patients. This issue features four prosthodontic articles written at four great institutions with the collaboration of dental educators and students. It was important to involve students and residents, as they are the future of our beloved profession. We could devote thousands of issues to the field of prosthodontics, but these articles give us an introduction on how we are able to merge the important “old-time” prosthodontic principles with
newer technologies that are used to assist the practitioner and teacher alike. “One thing I’ve learned after 21 years – you never know what is gonna come through that door.” That is the introduction from Pawn Stars, a popular television show. As we are serving the prosthodontic patient, we can relate to that quote, as it perfectly applies to our professional careers. No prosthodontic patient is alike and they all present with various personalities, different conditions and a wide range of expectations. The unique needs of each of our patients can only be addressed with proper prosthodontic planning and execution. Dr. Konstantinos Chochlidakis and his team of students and other specialists from the Eastman Institute for Oral Health in Rochester, N.Y., address the unique needs of an ectodermal dysplasia patient and gives us an example on how an interdisciplinary and methodical approach can achieve their oral rehabilitation. In general, the proper prosthodontic treatment for patients with special conditions or diseases, despite JUNE 2 0 2 1
371
