Dental development in the midwest of America

During the early nineteenth century, dentistry was just beginning its existence as a profession and emerging from a trade into a profession in the United States. Dental schools were being established to replace preceptorships as a means of training and members of the profession became aware of the need to draw up laws for the regulation of the professions. The Midwest of the United States participated in these changes and many of the dental practitioners of the Midwest started the reforms that ultimately led to the establishment of dentistry as a profession. Some of these originators and their contributions are reviewed.