ARNIM,SUMTER,SMITH, DDS, PHD (1904-1990) - A PIONEER IN PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY

This article reviews the life story and contributions of Sumter Smith Arnim (1904-1990), a noted author, lecturer, teacher, and researcher i n preventive dentistry. Following in the footsteps of Levi Spear Parml y, MD, DDS (1790-1859), and Charles C. Bass, MD (1875-1975), Arnim dev eloped and popularized a wide range of preventive concepts and practic es, especially dental plaque control via mechanical means. Today, thes e innovative ideas and techniques continue to have an impact on oral h ealth research, the practice of dentistry, and the teaching of oral hy giene to dental patients. This article traces both the development of these oral health concepts and Arnim's study of dental plaque (''micro cosm''), which he characterized by means of phase-contrast microscopy and cinemicrography.