Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

his patients. It was in 1907 that as chairman
of the legislative committee of the
Connecticut State Dental Association he
was able to secure an amendment to the
State dental law providing for the legal-
ized employment of women specially
trained in prophylactic treatment as as-
sistants to dentists. In 1900 he inaugu-
rated prophylactic work in his office. Be-
ginning in 1909, and after four years of
strenuous effort, he secured an appropria-
tion of five thousand dollars by the
Bridgeport City Council to the Board of
Education to conduct a demonstration of
the value of an educational and preventive
dental clinic. Dr. Fones enlisted the aid
of other professional men in order to make
use of the special fund and to train the
new corps of women prophylactic opera-
tors in Dr. Fones' magnificently appointed
office building where there were excellent
facilities for such a class. In 1914, eighteen
prominent educators of the East gave
their services gratis to educate the first
corps of women to be known as dental
hygienists, the title now generally applied
to them at the suggestion of Dr. Fones in
preference to "dental nurse," "prophy-
lactic assistant," etc. A textbook on the
subject of "Mouth Hygiene—A Textbook
for Dental Hygienists" was published and
now is in its second edition, it being in
use in many of the hygienists' training
schools. In 1915 Dr. Fones secured an
amendment to the State Dental law which
prescribed the field of the dental hygienist
and made provision for licensing these
women, for the first time in any State of
the Union. The movement has spread
from the private offices of dentists, to the
public schools, to hospitals and to dispensaries.
The soldiers in the World War
who were mobilized in Bridgeport were
given the prophylactic treatment by the
dental hygienists of Connecticut, with
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
beneficial results. This work was organ-
ized and conducted by Dr. Fones as a
free clinic in his office. In addition to this
war work, Dr. Fones served on the Dental
Committee of the Medical Board, Council
of National Defense, and was chairman of
the government's sub-committee on dental
hygiene for mobilized men and was
chairman of the New England division
of the Preparedness League of American
99
Dentists.
Dr. Fones has served as chairman of the
oral hygiene committee of the National
Dental Association. When his own
courses were completed he cooperated
with the courses in oral hygiene at Colum-
bia University, in 1918-22. In October,
1920, he was appointed professor of pre-
ventive dentistry at the Columbia Uni-
versity Dental School, and conducted this
course for two years. Owing to the pressure
of his work in Connecticut Dr. Fones
was obliged to resign his professorship.
In February, 1921, he went to Honolulu,
at the request of ex-Governor George
Carter and Mrs. Carter, to suggest a plan
for dental service for the school children
of the Hawaiian Islands. His suggestion
of a plan for a dental hygienist training
school was carried out in connection with
a central dental infirmary in Honolulu,
endowed by Mrs. Carter. The supervisors
of the training school were hygienists sent
out from Bridgeport to conduct the first
course in 1922. The Hawaiian Islands
now support the educational and prevent-
ive service in all public schools in the is-
lands, and hygienists are trained for this
purpose at the Honolulu Dental Infirm-
ary.
Dr. Fones' two-story office building in
Bridgeport is without doubt the most
unique, artistic, and aseptic building de-
voted to dental work owned and operated
by a dental surgeon in connection with his