A trip to the dentist

Thurs., March 28, 1935 - More dust although not as bad as yesterday.
Fri., March 29, 1935 - Howard came after me after supper.  Went up to Pete's, Davis' and Iversen's to make arrangements for going to the spelling contest tomorrow.  Snowed tonite a little.
Sat., March 30, 1935 - To Gormeley, had 2 teeth filled and all cleaned.  At 11:30 to Wayne to contest with Irene, Helen, Allen, and Marian.  Ray and Willie came after me at Courthouse at 4:30.  Left Winside at 6:15.  I got to Andrew's at 9:00. 
Memoranda:  Mar. 30 & 31, 1935 - Lillie, Irene Morris, George Jurgensen, Ray, and Willie went to a party dance at Elkhorn that Edna Ruschmann was giving.  

I don't know if this was an adult spelling contest or one for the students.

There are several people mentioned here that I am not familiar with, but I am glad to have them along for the blog ride.

Grandma's trip to the dentist made me wonder what dentistry was like in 1935.  Craig Armstrong, D.D.S. has a webpage with the history of dentistry and I grabbed the following.  The high voltage wire sounds like it added a little spark (tee hee) to the proceedings.  And the fact that there was something called a "Shock Proof X-Ray" is very reassuring:

1920-1940

It was during the 1920s that the Ritter Dental Company introduced the Model A Dental X-Ray, finally giving dentists an efficient diagnostic instrument. The machine needed two groups of transformers to adapt it to the various voltages and frequencies used during that time. Safety precautions also needed to be taken when the x-ray machine was in use. The clinician and patient both needed to stay at least one foot away from the high-voltage wire, which ran outside the arm from the transformer cabinet to the x-ray head.

The Ritter Company improved their x-ray machine in the 1930s, with the development of the Ritter Model B Shock Proof X-Ray. It eliminated earlier guesswork with an exact radiographic technique. It had a flexible x-ray head that was easy for dentists to adjust. Radiographs up to 14×17 inches were now possible.

Dental education evolved into a professional discipline during this period. In 1923, the American Association of Dental Schools was established. The following year, the American Dental Assistants Association was founded. Dental schools became university-based after the Carnegie Foundation issued the Gies Report, a comprehensive report that covered the state of dental education, in 1926. In 1928, the National Board of Examiners was established.

Research on fluoride was a major advancement in the 1930s. During that time, Frederick S. McKay, a Colorado dentist, determined that the brown stains on his patients’ teeth were related to the water supply. He conducted research from 1930-1943, verifying that drinking water with high levels of natural fluoride was associated with low dental caries yet high mottled enamel. By the beginning of the 1940s, H. Trendley Dean was able to establish the ideal fluoride level needed in drinking water to reduce decay without mottling. Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first city in the world to fluoridate drinking water in 1945.


Dr. Alvin Strock inserted the first Vitallium dental screw implant in 1937, using the biocompatible implant metal developed by orthopedic surgeon Charles Venable a year prior. The nylon toothbrush, made of synthetic bristles, became available for purchase in 1938.

So what were toothbrush bristles made of before 1938?