DentaltownUK May 2017 - 7

mike gow

editorial

porcelain. The illustrations in the book are
outstanding. It is full of surprises, such as
his description of using rubber dam. I have
to admit that I am surprised that they used
it 100 years ago and would have guessed
that its introduction would have been a
mid-20th-century occurrence,
With the advancement of digital dental
technology, I often wonder what Dall
would make of the dental world of today.
He pioneered a variety of techniques in his
work with porcelain. His techniques can be
best described as HAD/HAM (H="hand")
as opposed to CAD/CAM, yet some of
his workflow processes are surprisingly
contemporary and familiar.
One direct technique involved measuring the finished cavity's length and breadth
with calipers and then cutting a slab of
porcelain to the desired dimensions.
He describes the indirect version of
this technique, stating that following an
impression, a cast can be made of the tooth
and prepared cavity. Then an assistant
could, using the required shade, 'fit the
slab of porcelain to the mould by cutting
and trimming it with a diamond disc'.
Both these workflows are still used today
in porcelain inlay production, but the
processes usually involve computers rather
than hands to make them! Dall would
certainly recognise and appreciate the
modern processes.
He describes another technique whereby
he designed and patented a series of dental
burs which would be used to finish a cavity
preparation. Each bur was numbered, and
would have a corresponding, prefabricated
inlay made to that shape (in a variety of
shades).
He would, when required, plug a cavity

base with cohesive gold foil or amalgam
prior to inlay insertion to get optimal fit.
Dall designed and patented many
things including porcelain stains, furnace
designs, dental burs, etc. He was remarkably successful in obtaining commercial
support- eg he worked with Claudius Ash
& Sons Ltd (with porcelain inlay kits and
dental instruments bearing Dall's name).
Dall travelled to South Africa and Brazil
to source the most suitable diamond for use
in his dental burs.
He was also a collector of dental
artefacts during his travels. If you have ever
visited the BDA museum, you will likely
have encountered some of his collection.
His technique was to engage with remote
communities, and request to observe their
'dentist' at work. He would record the
techniques employed and often purchase
the dentist's tools. I love the language he
uses in his descriptions of these encounters.
'While at Mount Abu, in British India,
I espied in one of my perambulations a
native with circular gold inlays in his upper
central incisors, which were beautifully
inlaid. When I asked him who had done
them he said: "Sahib, myself", at which
I was a little puzzled. Further inquiries
elicited the fact that he and his father were
jewellers'.2 Dall goes on to describe paying
the jeweller to perform the procedure on a
patient for him to observe-promising to
pay him several rupees! He also describes a
visit to Java, where he discovered that locals
disliked the natural appearance of the
'upper 6 front teeth' as they look too much
like those of an animal! Their solution was
to shorten them by filing. 'Knowing that
the idea was prevalent amongst them, I
succeeded in coming in touch with a native

dentaltownuk.com \\ MAY 2017

7
http://www.dentaltownuk.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK May 2017
