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Harold Gladstone Watkin (born 17 January 1882 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, died 11 November 1965), known by many of his contemporaries as "Watty", is considered one of the most pioneering English orthodontists of the early 20th century. [1]
He started working at the Equipment Department of the National Telephone Company and helped develop the first fully automatic telephone exchange in Staffordshire Potteries that opened in 1904. He then built his own X-ray machine and took the earliest known radiograph in Stoke-on-Trent for Mr. King Alcock, F.R.C.S., a local surgeon, who had a female patient who worked in a textile factory and the end of a machine needle had snapped off in her finger.
In 1914, Watkin came to Liverpool where he studied at the Liverpool School of Dental Surgery and qualified in 1918. Then until 1930, he practiced in Liverpool. He worked as a general dental with special interest was orthodontics. In 1921, he became a member of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO) and a member of European Orthodontic Society (EOS) in 1926. Watkin performed the first successful jaw resection operation in the UK in 1928.
Watkin set up a specialist orthodontic practice in Liverpool in 1930. At the time there were only two other such orthodontic specialist practices in UK, one in London and the other one in Dublin. With a growing reputation as an outstanding clinician, in 1933, he became President of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics. In his BSSO presidential address [2] he discussed the problems associated with welding steel wire [3] and the importance of considering the influence of soft tissue when undertaking orthodontic correction. Both of these points put him ahead of the field and contributed to his success.
In 1934, he was elected as President of the Liverpool Odontological Society, and in 1937, of the West Lancashire, West Cheshire and North Wales Branch of the British Dental Association.
In the early years of orthodontics, removable appliances (plates), as opposed to the more expensive and complex fixed appliances, were commonly used. One such appliance that fascinated Watkin and had potential for development was the Pin and Tube Appliance. The Pin and Tube Appliance was time consuming and, therefore, expensive to construct. It lacked flexibility and needed adjusting every two to three weeks. Trauma to the teeth could only be avoided by very careful handling. These shortcomings concerned Watkin so he devised an adaptation, not only addressing these problems, but also endowing his appliance with extra beneficial features. He replaced the rather rigid 'pin' with a 'loop and tube' attachment permitting three-dimensional control of the tooth and extending the periods between adjustments to six weeks and provided means for quick arch-wire removal, cleaning, adjustment and reinsertion. The implications for the patients were great as it meant that they needed fewer appointments and those they had were shorter.
In 1934, high tensile stainless steel became available giving the appliances increased efficiency and flexibility, enabling the need for clinical adjustment to be extended to eight-week periods.
The Watkin Appliance eventually developed into two distinct types; the Loop and Tube Appliance and the Free-Sliding Arch.
The Free-Sliding Arch was essentially a loop and tube appliance at the front but the correcting wires extended backwards to a banded molar on each side of the mouth.
His appliances relied on bends and coils in the correcting wire so it was necessary to have specific pliers made for the purpose so local toolmakers, Elliots of Buckland Street Aigburth, Liverpool, produced the Watkin Pliers commercially. The Dental Manufacturing Company in London also sold Watkin Pliers.
In the 1930s, the invention of the spot welder by Watkin allowed a much greater success rate when soldering fine wires, especially, steel. Elliot's of Liverpool produced the welder commercially and promoted it in the instruction manual: ‘The Watkin welder has been designed by an eminent orthodontist essentially for the speedy and efficient welding of stainless steel wire and tape. Weighing only 35lbs, it is completely portable. The Watkin Welder has proved invaluable to other professions, and is used extensively in the engineering, electrical and allied trades.’ The Watkin Welder sold widely and it was used by the valve maker Mullard and by leading orthodontists, clinicians and hospitals throughout the world for twenty-five years until an electronic spot welder superseded it. Watkin did become wealthy through its sales but as he did not believe in patents he did not make the great fortune he perhaps deserved. Modern spot welders still have more than a passing resemblance to his original design, especially in the rotating star head section.[ citation needed ]
On 11 November 1965, he died at the age of 83 years, the day after seeing a full list of patients. His old office at 84 Rodney Street was renamed Watkin House about 10 years after his death and a padded upholstered seat in lecture theatre was named after him when Manchester Dental Hospital refurbished the post-graduate room around 1980.[ citation needed ]
Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, as well as misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial orthopedics.
Orthodontic retainers are custom-made devices, usually made of wires or clear plastic, that hold teeth in position after surgery or any method of realigning teeth. Once a phase of orthodontic treatment has been completed to straighten teeth, there remains a lifelong risk of relapse due to a number of factors: recoil of periodontal fibres, pressure from surrounding soft tissues, the occlusion and patient’s continued growth and development. By using retainers to hold the teeth in their new position for a length of time, the surrounding periodontal fibres adapt to changes in the bone which can help minimize any changes to the final tooth position after the completion of orthodontic treatment. Retainers may also be used to treat overjets.
Dental braces are devices used in orthodontics that align and straighten teeth and help position them with regard to a person's bite, while also aiming to improve dental health. They are often used to correct underbites, as well as malocclusions, overbites, open bites, gaps, deep bites, cross bites, crooked teeth, and various other flaws of the teeth and jaw. Braces can be either cosmetic or structural. Dental braces are often used in conjunction with other orthodontic appliances to help widen the palate or jaws and to otherwise assist in shaping the teeth and jaws.
A dental technician is a member of the dental team who, upon prescription from a dental clinician, constructs custom-made restorative and dental appliances.
A quad helix is an orthodontic appliance for the upper teeth that is cemented in the mouth. It is attached to the molars by 2 bands and has two or four active helix springs that widen the arch of the mouth to make room for crowded teeth, or correct a posterior cross-bite, where lower teeth are buccal (outer) than upper teeth. It is usually made from 38 mil stainless steel wire and is primarily indicated in mixed dentition, cleft patients and those that have performed the act of thumbsucking. A variety of this appliance is inserted into attachments that are welded to the bands. In this way the orthodontist can adjust the appliance without removing the bands.
An archwire in orthodontics is a wire conforming to the alveolar or dental arch that can be used with dental braces as a source of force in correcting irregularities in the position of the teeth. An archwire can also be used to maintain existing dental positions; in this case it has a retentive purpose.
Orthodontic technology is a specialty of dental technology that is concerned with the design and fabrication of dental appliances for the treatment of malocclusions, which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both.
Edward Hartley Angle was an American dentist, widely regarded as "the father of American orthodontics". He was trained as a dentist, but made orthodontics his speciality and dedicated his life to standardizing the teaching and practice of orthodontics. He founded the Angle School of Orthodontia in 1899 in St. Louis and schools in other regions of the United States. As the originator of the profession, Angle founded three orthodontic schools between 1905 and 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, New London, Connecticut and Pasadena, California. These exclusive institutions provided the opportunity for several pioneering American orthodontists to receive their training.
Percival Raymond Begg AO was a professor at the University of Adelaide School of Dentistry and a well known orthodontist, famous for developing the "Begg technique". Permanent displays dedicated to the Begg technique can be found in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, the Library of the American Dental Association in Chicago, and the PR Begg Museum at the University of Adelaide.
Lingual braces are one of the many types of the fixed orthodontic treatment appliances available to patients needing orthodontics. They involve attaching the orthodontic brackets on the inner sides of the teeth. The main advantage of lingual braces is their near invisibility compared to the standard braces, which are attached on the buccal (cheek) sides of the tooth. Lingual braces were invented by Craven Kurz in 1976.
Charles J. Burstone was an American orthodontist who was notable for his contributions to biomechanics and force-systems in the field of orthodontics. He was well known for co-development of new orthodontic material such as beta titanium, nickel titanium, and long fiber-reinforced composite. He wrote more than 200 articles in scientific fields.
Lloyd Steel Lourie was an American orthodontist who attended Angle School of Orthodontia in St. Louis and graduated in 1900. He served as president of American Association of Orthodontists for two terms in 1904 and 1905. He also served as the president of the Chicago Association of Orthodontists. Lourie during formative years of the Orthodontics, played a role in critical analysis of papers talking about orthodontic techniques. He developed the high labial arch appliance. He also developed a wire-stretching pliers which was useful in cutting any leftover spurs on the labial arches.
Dr. Herbert A. Pullen was an American orthodontist who was the graduate of the first class from Angle School of Orthodontia in 1900. Pullen is known to have developed Pullen band-forming pliers, band-removing pliers and band seater.
Craven Kurz was an American orthodontist who is known to be the inventor of the lingual braces in 1975. He was also the founding president of the American Lingual Orthodontic Association.
Dr. Robert M. Ricketts was an American orthodontist known for many contributions in the field of orthodontics. Most important contributions were related to his development of Ricketts' Cephalometric Analysis and an .018-inch slot in an orthodontic bracket. His research focused on the growth and structural variation of the face and jaws.
George Northcroft was a British orthodontist who is known for his contributions in the formation of the British Orthodontic Society. The society was initially formed in 1907 as British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO) and the name later changed to British Orthodontic Society. He also played an important role in formation of the Dental Act of 1921 which made dentistry a profession in Great Britain.
Frankel appliance or Frankel Functional Regulator is an orthodontic functional appliance which was developed by Rolf Fränkel in 1950s for treatment to patients of all ages. This appliance primarily focused on the modulation of neuromuscular activity in order to produce changes in jaw and teeth. The appliance was opposite to the Bionator appliance and Activator appliance.
Hans Peter Bimler was a German orthodontist who was known for developing the Bimler appliance. He also developed the first Roentgenphotogramm in 1939. Hans also developed the elastic bite former during World War II.
An Adams clasp is a component used to retain a custom-made medical device in the mouth. The clasp functions by engaging the mesiobuccal and distobuccal undercuts of a tooth, typically the maxillary first molar and is used to retain a wide range of devices prescribed in a variety of medical and dental specialties.