Highland Heights Dental

08/15/2026

August 14th/15th marks the announcement of the surrender of Japan in 1945.

More than 22,000 total dental officers served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, including over 15,000 in the Army Dental Corps and more than 7,000 in the Navy Dental Corps.

U.S. Army Dental Corps: Peaked at 15,292 active-duty dental officers in 1944 (with over 18,000 serving throughout the course of the war).

U.S. Navy Dental Corps: Expanded from about 800 dentists after Pearl Harbor to more than 7,000 by the end of the war.

Wartime Contributions: Performed millions of dental procedures to ensure troops were fit for deployment, including roughly 16 million extractions and 70 million restorations. Naval dentists played a vital role after Pearl Harbor by using dental records to identify roughly 80% of the casualties. Also Captain Ben Salomon, an Army Dental Corps officer, famously defended a battalion aid station during the Battle of Saipan and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

08/07/2026

This Day in Tooth History - August 6, 1890

Dentist Alfred P. Southwick never intended to become associated with one of history’s most controversial inventions. After witnessing a man die almost instantly from accidental contact with an electrical generator in 1881, Southwick believed electricity could provide a more humane alternative to hanging.

Working with New York’s death penalty commission, his concept eventually led to the development of the electric chair. The first working chair was engineered by Harold Brown, an electrical engineer closely associated with Thomas Edison.

On August 6, 1890, the electric chair was used for the first time at Auburn Prison in New York to execute William Kemmler. Ironically, what was intended to be a more humane method became a gruesome, botched ex*****on that required two electrical shocks and sparked immediate public criticism.

Southwick, a respected dentist and professor, remains one of the most unusual figures in dental history. His legacy forever tied to an invention born from a desire to reduce suffering but remembered for one of the most infamous moments in the history of capital punishment.

08/05/2026

Studies show pulling part of your ear helps to remain calm.

07/28/2026

Olympic fencer. Dentist. History maker.

Most people know Olympic athletes for their medals—but Dr. Daniel Bukantz also earned a reputation for creating healthy smiles.

A standout American foil fencer, Bukantz represented the United States in four Olympic Games (1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960), capped by a team bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Between competitions, he practiced dentistry, proving that precision isn’t just for the fencing strip.

Whether holding a foil or a dental instrument, Dr. Bukantz demonstrated the same steady hands, focus, and dedication to excellence. Bukantz passed July 26, 2008.

07/16/2026

This day in tooth history: William Morton

William T. G. Morton (passed July 15, 1868) changed the course of medicine - and it all began in a dental office.

As a practicing dentist searching for a way to make tooth extractions less painful, Morton experimented with ether. On October 16, 1846, at Massachusetts General Hospital, he publicly demonstrated ether anesthesia during surgery, ushering in a new era of pain-free operations. That historic event, often called “Ether Day,” transformed not only dentistry but all of surgery.

While there has been longstanding debate over who deserves primary credit for the discovery of anesthesia - including Horace Wells, Crawford Long, and Charles Jackson - Morton is widely recognized for the first successful public demonstration that convinced the medical world anesthesia could safely eliminate surgical pain.

Every time a patient comfortably receives dental treatment or undergoes surgery without feeling pain, they’re benefiting from a breakthrough that traces its roots back to a dentist determined to improve the patient experience.

Dentistry didn’t just change smiles, it changed medicine.

07/16/2026

Alexander Gordon Lyle proved that a dentist’s skills can save lives far beyond the dental chair.

A graduate of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Lyle joined the U.S. Navy Dental Corps in 1915. During World War I, while serving with the 5th Marine Regiment in France, he rushed through heavy enemy shellfire on April 23, 1918, to treat a gravely wounded Marine. His quick actions saved the Marine’s life, earning him the Medal of Honor—one of only three dental officers in U.S. history to receive the nation’s highest military award.

Lyle continued a distinguished naval career, eventually becoming the first flag officer (admiral) in the history of the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. His legacy is a reminder that dentistry demands not only technical excellence, but also courage, compassion, and a commitment to serving others wherever they are needed. Rear Admiral Lyle passed July 15, 1955 in Rhode Island.

07/08/2026

The Dentist Who Tried to Replace Saloons with Water Fountains

Long before public drinking fountains became commonplace, dentist Henry D. Cogswell believed he had found a cure for one of society’s biggest problems: alcohol.

After building a successful dental practice and making a fortune during the California Gold Rush, Cogswell became a passionate supporter of the temperance movement. His solution? Install ornate public temperance fountains that offered free, ice-cold drinking water, hoping people would choose a refreshing drink over a trip to the local saloon.

Beginning in the 1880s, he donated fountains to cities across the United States, many engraved with the words “Faith, Hope, Charity, and Temperance.” Some even featured statues of Cogswell himself holding a glass of water! While many of the fountains were mocked, vandalized, or eventually removed, a few still survive today—including the famous Temperance Fountain in Washington, D.C.—as reminders of one dentist’s unique vision for improving public health. (National Park Service⁠)

Cogswell’s idea may not have ended alcohol consumption, but it helped popularize the concept of public drinking fountains, leaving a lasting mark on American cities. His fountains can still be found in found in Washington, D.C., New York City, San Francisco, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Rockville, Connecticut. Cogswell passed July 8th, 1900.

PublicHealth

07/02/2026

06/26/2026

The assistant when a patient is added to an already busy schedule.

06/25/2026

USA vs Türkiye. Enjoy Turkey day! Hopefully they go around the stadium and give everyone the chance to say what they’re thankful for.

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