Nationality American Term 1948–1953 Name Henry Dean | Alma mater St. Louis University Successor Francis A. Arnold, Jr. Education Saint Louis University | |
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Born August 25, 1893 ( 1893-08-25 ) Known for Work on water fluoridation Title Director of National Institute of Dental Research Died May 13, 1962, Evanston, Illinois, United States Awards Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award | ||
Henry Trendley Dean (August 25, 1893 – May 13, 1962), was the first director of the United States National Institute of Dental Research and a pioneer investigator of water fluoridation in the prevention of tooth decay.
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Early life
Dean was born in Winstanley Park, Illinois (now part of East St. Louis) on August 25, 1893, the son of William Ware and Rosalie Harriet Dean; his mother's maiden name was Trendley. He received his dental degree from St. Louis University in 1916 and entered private practice that year in Wood River, Illinois. During World War I, he served with the United States Army until 1919, when he returned to his practice. Dean married Ruth Martha McEvoy on September 14, 1921. Also in 1921, he entered the United States Public Health Service and was stationed in several US Marine Corps hospitals until 1931 when he was placed in charge of dental research at the National Institute of Health, advancing to director of the dental research section in 1945. After World War II, he directed epidemiologic studies for the Army in Germany. When Congress established the National Institute of Dental Research in 1948, Dean was appointed its director, a position he held until retiring in 1953.
Research into water fluoridation
Dean's legacy comes almost entirely from his research into fluoridation. At the urging of Dr. Frederick McKay and others concerned with the brown-staining of teeth in certain regions of the country, Dean was asked to make this his first assignment at the Institute in 1931. With the help of his fellow investigators and the cooperation of dentists and other health workers in the field, it was established that high amounts of fluoride in drinking water caused mottled enamel on the teeth (dental fluorosis), while at the same time precipitating lower rates of dental caries (cavities). In 1934, as part of this work, Dean published an index to categorize the severity of dental fluorosis. The rest of Dean's professional life was spent finding the optimal level of fluoride that would prevent tooth decay yet avoid staining teeth. In 1952, McKay and Dean were presented with the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research by the American Public Health Association for their work with fluoride.
Later life
After his retirement, Dean joined the American Dental Association as Secretary of its Council on Dental Research. In this role, he continued to advocate and defend the addition of fluoride to public drinking water. He was frequently called to speak on the subject in the United States and abroad, mostly to refute the arguments of those who opposed water fluoridation. In 1949, he was presented with the Gorgas Medal from the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS). He died in 1962, after a long battle with asthma and emphysema.
The International Association for Dental Research has an award named after Dean, called the H. Trendley Dean Memorial Award, recognizing meritorious research in epidemiology and public health.