NDA II: The Story of America's Second National Dental Association (review)

NDA II: The Story of America's Second National Dental Association is an authentic and comprehensive history of the organization written by two of the people most qualified to write such a text.

Dr. Dummett, a scholar's scholar, served as Editor-in-Chief of the National Dental Association's (NDA's) journal for 22 years and published more than 300 articles and 12 books. He is a Diplomate in the American Board of Oral Medicine and was the first black person to be board certified as a Diplomate in the American Board of Periodontics. In 1947, he was also the youngest person (age 28) to become the dean of a U.S. dental school. Mrs. Dummett, the former Lois Maxine Doyle, is an alumna of Roosevelt University and has co-authored 5 of her husband's books and served as Assistant Editor of the NDA's journal.

The present title chronicles the unparalleled development, struggles and successes in organized dentistry for African American oral health professionals from 1895 through the 20th century and documents, in extraordinary pictorial and narrative detail, the triad of research, education and service of African American dentists who strove to secure oral health for underserved populations in the U.S. and throughout the world.

While it focuses on organized dentistry among African Americans, the book is a microcosm of black life beyond dentistry. Numerous scenes of courage demonstrated by individuals and groups who overcame bigotry balance the welldocumented examples of prejudice, discrimination, and overt and covert racism.

Interestingly, the Dummetts' sojourn as a couple parallels the NDA's history as an organization during the Jim Crow era of apartheid America. For many African American dentists who also have lived through segments of that history, the social and historical context provides a framework to understand better the circumstances they currently face. For others in the profession committed to a diverse and just society, reading the book will strengthen their ability to collaborate with African American dentists and with the NDA in an informed and culturally fitting manner.

The first-ever Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health did an excellent job of describing oral health in the U.S. and highlighted major oral health disparities that remain. Among its recommendations are the needs to improve access to care, target oral and systemic health and disease risk factors, and increase the number of minority dentists. Ironically, the NDA has championed those very causes since its inception, together with the causes of public health generally and of other strategies outside the purview of traditional dental practice.