CHAIR OF DENTAL SURGERY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 April 1928, Page 4

CHAIR OF DENTAL SURGERY

PROFESSOR R. B. DODDS. D.D.S

The March issue of the “New Zealand Dental Journal" has the following editorial concerning the appointment of Professor R. B. Dodds, a son of Air and Mrs G. E. Dodds, of Nelson, to the Chair of Dental Surgery : “The appointment c>f Dr. Dodds to ihe Chair of Dental Surgery, vacated by Dr. Pickerill, is one Hint will meet with the approval nut only of students and graduates, hut also of the Profession generally in New Zealand.

“Dr. Dodds is 33 years of age, and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School and at Nelson College. After serving for a short, time as assistant to his father, lie entered in 1913. ihe. Dental School. Otago University, whence he graduated B.D.S. in 1916. Early in 1917 he beenmft an officer in the X.Z. Dental Corps, and saw service on both the hospital ships and in Egypt, during which period he gained much experience and had many opportunities of coining into intimate contact with graduates of other Dental Schools, both English and American. “On his return to New Zealand he entered private practice in Nelson, doing much hospital worl; and having many opportunities of further studying Surgical Pathology. It w«s during this period, in 192-1. that lie passed the examination for the Doctor of Denial Surgery Degree of the New Zealand University. *■

•Tn March, 1926. Dr. Dodds joined the staff of the Otago Denial School, and was shortly after made Associate Professor of Dentistry. On the death of Professor Bell a great, deal of work fell to Dr. Dodds, and lie was elected acting Dean of the Faculty when Dr. Pickei ill’s resignation took effect last vear.

"The appointment of a New Zealander and one who has bad such a distinguished career and so much experience, to so important a [tost as that of the Professorship of Dental Surgery at the Otago University is one that will be approved of and be watched with much interest by all concerned. It seems singularly Tilting that such an appoint inent should have been made. New Zealand has reached, pci haps, the peak, sr» far as the denial condition of jts people are concerned, and there is a great field for research work in a country where the problem is an open one and (he issues clear. New Zealand at. present poses before the world as a ‘‘horrible example," and is serving ns a laboratory where cert.ain experiments in denial economy arc being carried out. On our new Professor's influence on the coming generations, and on the research work he is able to direct, will largely depend the answers to to-day's problems. The success cf New Zealand's experiments in dental sociologv will decide whether they will prove for the now generations an unmixed blessing by spreading tbe gospel rif prevention, or. in that they remove the penalties for luxury, ignorance ami neglect, an unmitigated curse. "We know that Professor Dodds is keenly alive to all the problems that present themselves for solution in this country, and we should like to express the hope that, amid the many cares of iiis new posit Toil, he will still find much time for that research work on which hi.- heart is fixed, and that lie will for many years control the destinies of a , school that counts' for so much cither | for good or evil in the lile of the Do* i minion."