The history of complete denture impression procedures has been

influenced largely by the development of im pression materials

from which new ideas and techniques arose.
Apparently, some procedures have been devised solely
fo r the prom otion of certain impression materials. For the most part,
however, impression materials have been developed to accom plish
specific goals and, at the tim e at least,
were considered desirable fo r the purpose.

A h is to r ic a l r e v ie w o f c o m p le te d e n tu re

im p r e s s io n m a te r ia ls

E d g a r N. S ta rc k e , Jr., DDS, Houston
Significant improvements in complete denture
impression techniques have almost invariably
been associated with the development of im­
proved impression materials. Undoubtedly,
some methods were developed solely for the
promotion of a specific material. However, most
materials were developed in an effort to obviate
the deficits found in older products.
This search for materials and methods has
been a fruitful one, and it is the purpose of this
paper to review these developments chronolog­
ically.
R e v ie w
Before the middle of the 18th century, no method
was available for producing an impression of the
alveolar ridges. A widely used method at that
time was the painting of the ridges with a dye,
and the pressing of a block of ivory or bone
against the dyed surfaces. Areas of contact were
scraped away from the block until the best fit for
the prosthesis was achieved.1 Beeswax was ap­
parently the material first used in making impres­
sions in the mouth. In 1756, Phillip Pfaff, of Ber­
lin, made sectional wax impressions of half of an
arch at a tim e.2 William Rae, in 1782, said that he
“ got the measurement of the jaw s in a piece of
wax pushed into the gums, afterward making a
cast o fit with plaster of Paris.” 1 In 1840, Charles
de Loude, of London, made one of the earliest
references to impression trays when he wrote,
“ For impressions, I use wax in tin cups or
shapes, the whole size of the upper and lower
jaw s, or right or left, half jaw s and fronts.” 3
About this same time (1847), Desirabode4 re­
ferred to an impression tray in the following
manner; “ We place the wax in a box, a kind of
semi-elliptical gutter of tin or silver, upon the an­
terior part of which is a shaft which forms a han­
dle. The walls of this receptacle, offering some
resistance, oppose the deformation of the w ax.”
However, Desirabode later advised abandoning
the technique because he believed that it caused
pain and that it produced much greater pressure
than the method using the fingers. Furthermore,
he noted that the impressions produced were al­
ways too large.
In 1842, Montgomery had discovered gutta­
percha. It is obtained from various sapotaceous
trees in Malaysia. It was introduced as an im­
JADA, Vol. 91, N ovem ber 1975 ■ 1037
 p res sio n m a te ria l in 1848, p ro b a b ly b y e ith e r
C o lb u r n o r B la k e . C o lb u rn 5 said th a t “ it should
be th o ro u g h ly so aked in b o ilin g w a te r , th en
k n e a d e d an d m o u ld e d in th e sam e w a y as w a x
. . . and im m e d ia te ly p la c e d in th e m o u th , and
f ir m ly pressed to its p la c e .” B la k e 6 suggested a
s im ila r p ro c e d u re , b u t m e n tio n e d th a t a fte r m o ld ­
ing o f th e h o t m a te ria l, it sh o uld be “ p ressed in to
th e fra m e , w h ic h m a y be ‘u n d e rc u t’ in o rd e r to
h o ld it m o re s e c u re ly .” A lth o u g h in te re s t in th e
m a te ria l w as high f o r se ve ral y e ars a fte r its in tr o ­
d u c tio n , its p o p u la rity w as s h o rtliv e d b ecau se
its p ro p e rtie s (th a t is, its high w o r k in g te m p e ra ­
tu r e a n d stiffn ess) m ade it d iffic u lt to a c h ie v e
s a tis fa c to ry resu lts.
I n a b o u t 1844, p la s te r o f p aris w a s f ir s t u sed as
an im p re s s io n m a te ria l. W e s c o tt, D w i n d l e , an d
D u n n in g h a v e b een c re d ite d w ith th is d is c o v e ry ,7
b u t W e s c o tt,8 h im s e lf, g a v e th e c r e d it to D u n ­
n in g . H e said th a t D u n n in g in M a r c h 1844, “ trie d
p la s te r w h e n try in g to ta k e an im p re s s io n o f fla b ­
b y tissu e w ith w a x and g o t o n ly v e r y d is to rte d
im p re s s io n s .” I n 1862, F r a n k lin 9 d e s c rib e d th e
fir s t c o rre c te d im p re s s io n . H e u sed w a x f o r th e
p re lim in a ry im p res sio n fo llo w e d by a p la s te r
w a s h . I n 1870, W e s c o tt8 d esc rib ed a s im ila r p la s­
te r w as h te c h n iq u e , using o v e rs iz e d w a x tra y s
m a d e b y scooping o u t p rim a r y im p res sio n s .
T w o p ro c e d u re s w id e ly u sed u n til th e e a rly
1900s in v o lv e d th e m a kin g o f im p res sio n s w ith
e ith e r w a x o r p la s te r d ire c tly , o r w ith p la s te r in
an in d iv id u a l tr a y o f w a x . A lth o u g h tw o im p re s ­
sio n co m p o u n d s (m o d e lin g p la s tic s ) h a d b e e n
d e v e lo p e d a n d in tro d u c e d , o n e b y C h a rle s Stens
o f E n g la n d in 1857 an d th e o th e r b y S. S. W h ite
in 1874, th e use o f these m a te ria ls d ates fr o m th e
c o n trib u tio n s o f J. W . G r e e n e , P . T . G r e e n e ,
an d o f R u p e rt H a ll . T h e G re e n e b ro th e rs , a b o u t
1900, in tro d u c e d a m o d e lin g p la s tic , a m e th o d
fo r m a n ip u la tin g it , a n d a te c h n iq u e th a t is said to
h a v e b e e n th e firs t to u tiliz e a ll th e su rfaces o f
th e m o u th to ad v a n ta g e f o r d e n tu re re te n tio n .
T h e y w e re p ro b a b ly th e firs t to te a c h th e clo sed-
m o u th a ll-m o d e lin g p la s tic te c h n iq u e in d e ta il.7
F u r th e r m o r e , th e y w e re th e fir s t to u s e th e te rm
“ p o s te rio r d a m ” in d esc rib in g th e p o s te rio r p a ­
la ta l seal. I n a v a ria tio n o f th e m e th o d , S. G .
S u p p le e in tro d u c e d a h o t w a te r h e a te r d esig ned
fo r w o rk in g w ith m o d e lin g p la s tic .10
R u p e r t H a ll , in 1915, p e rfe c te d th e fir s t m o d -
e ra te -h e a t m o d e lin g p la s tic f o r m a k in g in d iv id u a l
im p re s s io n tra y s a n d in tro d u c e d th e c o rre c ta b le
m o d e lin g p la s tic -p la s te r te c h n iq u e th a t a lm o s t
im m e d ia te ly b e c a m e a sta n d ard m e th o d f o r m a k ­
in g im p re s s io n s .7 H o w e v e r , B r e m n e r 11 said th a t
1038 ■ JADA, Vol. 91, Novem ber 1975
P . T . G re e n e ta u g h t th e use o f p la s te r a n d m o d e l­
in g p la s tic c o m b in a tio n s , w h ic h w e re la te r so m e­
w h a t im p ro v e d b y H a l l an d b eca m e u n ju s tifia b ly
k n o w n as th e “ H a ll m e th o d .” N e v e rth e le s s ,
H a ll used a s p e c ia lly p re p a re d h a rd b la c k m o d e l­
ing p la s tic f o r m a k in g a cu sto m tr a y in w h ic h a
v e ry th in m ix o f im p res sio n p la s te r w as p la c e d
f o r th e c o r r e c tio n .12
E v e n th o u g h S c h lo s s e r,13 T e n c h ,14 P e n d le ­
t o n ,15 an d F o u m e t 16 m a in ta in e d th a t m o d e lin g
p la s tic possessed a ll o f th e n ecessary p ro p e rtie s
f o r m a k in g c o m p le te d e n tu re im p re s s io n s , th e
p la s te r w as h te c h n iq u e b eca m e s te a d ily m o re
p o p u la r d u rin g th e s e v e ra l years a fte r its in tr o ­
d u c tio n , an d m a n y tec h n iq u es a p p e a re d u sing
th e c o n c e p t, in c lu d in g th o s e b y C a m p b e ll17 an d
m o re re c e n tly b y S w e n s e n .18
A lp h o u s P o lle r ,19 o f V ie n n a , in 1925, de­
scrib ed his e la s tic m a te ria l as an im p ro v e d m a ­
te ria l f o r “ m o ld in g a rtic le s o f a ll k in d s , m o re p a r ­
tic u la rly p a rts o f liv in g b o d ie s .” P o lle r w a s m o s t
lik e ly th e firs t to suggest th e use o f a g ar f o r d e n ­
ta l im p re s s io n s .7 E v e n th o u g h th is m a te ria l p r o ­
duces e x c e lle n t d e ta il, it is n o t id e a l f o r th e e d e n ­
tu lo u s im p re s s io n an d has n o t b e e n u sed to a n y
g re a t e x te n t. B o o th ,20 h o w e v e r , d e s c rib e d a
c o m p le te d e n tu re im p re s s io n te c h n iq u e u sing
ag ar b u t fo u n d it n ecessary to b u ild c u s to m w a te r -
c o o le d tra y s a n d to p re m e d ic a te th e p a tie n t w it h
a d ru g to re d u c e s a liv a tio n .
D u r in g th e la te 1920s, th e id e a b e c a m e w id e ly
h eld th a t u n ifo rm tissu e s u p p o rt (a c h ie v e d b y th e
c o m p le te d e n tu re im p re s s io n ) m a y be o f v a lu e .
I t w a s b e lie v e d th a t th is w o u ld m o st lik e ly b e a t ­
ta in e d b y c o n tro lle d p la c e m e n t o f th e s o ft tis ­
sues. D u r in g th is p e rio d , th e firs t tru e fu n c tio n a l
im p re s s io n w a x e s w e re d e v e lo p e d . T h e w a x e s
used b e fo re th is tim e , n a m e ly p a ra ffin a n d b ees­
w a x , w e re f a r fr o m id e a l b ecau se th e y w e re h a rd ,
flo w e d to o s lo w ly , o r w e re c ru m b ly .
A n e a rly flu id w a x te c h n iq u e w a s d e s c rib e d
b y E v e r e tt21 in 1922. I t w as a c lo s e d -m o u th p r o ­
c e d u re in w h ic h h e u sed flu id w a x co m p o u n d s
o f th re e co n siste n c ie s (h a rd , m e d iu m , a n d s o ft);
th is he said, “ in e v e r y w a y p ossible re p re s e n ts
th e th re e g e n e ra l tissues o f th e m o u th on th e m a x ­
illa r y b o n e , w h ic h a re th e p e rio s te u m , m u sc u ­
la r o r in te rlin in g tissues an d m u co u s m e m b ra n e . ’ ’
T h e liq u id w a x e s w e re p a in te d o n in la y e rs , fr o m
h a rd to so ft, a n d each a llo w e d to gel u n d e r o c c lu ­
sal p ressu re.
E v e n as la te as 1942, P e n d le to n 22 suggested a
liq u id w a x te c h n iq u e using an A s ia tic o r In d ia
p a ra ffin fo r th e fin a l m a n d ib u la r im p re s s io n .
H o w e v e r , to d a y , th e fu n c tio n a l o r p h y s io lo g ic
w axes a re th e p re fe rr e d ones f o r th o s e w h o
ch o o se th e flu id w a x te c h n iq u e . I n 1930, a c c o rd ­
in g to A p p le g a te ,23 a series o f tru e p h y s io lo g ic
w a x e s w a s d e v e lo p e d b y th e c o o p e ra tiv e e ffo rt
o f D r s . G . C . B o w le s , S. G . A p p le g a te , a n d h im ­
s e lf an d w a s m a d e a v a ila b le in 1935.
I n 1939, D ir k s e n 24 re p o rte d th e fin d in g s o f his
re s e a rc h a t th e U n iv e r s ity o f Io w a , w h ic h re s u lt­
ed in th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f s till a n o th e r p h y s io lo g ic
im p re s s io n w a x .
O v e r th e y e a rs , th e fu n c tio n a l w a x e s h ave
g ro w n s te a d ily in p o p u la rity an d m a n y clin icia n s
h a v e suggested m e th o d s fo r th e ir use: A p p le ­
g a te ,25 f o r im m e d ia te d e n tu re s ; M c C r a c k e n ,26
B o r k in ,27 an d F a b e r ,28 f o r m a n d ib u la r c o m p le te
d e n tu re s ; an d H a r d y , 29 O s tr e m ,30 a n d S c h u ltz ,31
f o r c o m p le te d e n tu re re lin e p ro c e d u re s .
T h e fir s t re a l im p etu s in th e u se o f th e z in c o x ­
id e an d e u g en o l ( Z O E ) f o r im p re s s io n m a te ria ls
c a m e f r o m tw o p io n e e r d e n tis ts , A . W . W a r d an d
E . B . K e ll y , d u rin g th e e a rly 1930s. W a r d ’ s p re p ­
a r a tio n 32 w as p rim a r ily in te n d e d as a su rg ical
p a c k , b u t h e also said th a t it c o u ld b e used “ as
lin in g s f o r d e n tu re s a n d as an im p res sio n m a te r­
i a l . ” 33 K e l l y ’ s p re p a ra tio n 34 w a s p r im a r ily in ­
te n d e d as an im p re s s io n m a te ria l.
T r a p o z z a n o ,35 in 1939, d e s c rib e d o n e o f th e
e a rly te c h n iq u e s u sing a Z O E p aste . C o m p o u n d
p r e lim in a ry im p res sio n s w e re m ade in stock
tra y s a n d p la s te r o f p a ris casts w e re p o u re d . V u l ­
c a n ite o r sh ellac bases w e re c o n s tru c te d , on
w h ic h o c c lu s io n rim s o f w a x o r c o m p o u n d w e re
p la c e d . A f t e r a te n ta tiv e v e rtic a l a n d c e n tric re la ­
tio n w a s es tab lis h e d , th e fin a l c o rre c tiv e im p re s ­
sion w a s m a d e u sing a c lo s e d -m o u th te c h n iq u e .
O t h e r tec h n iq u es in c lu d e th o s e b y M a r t o n e ,36
w h o a d v o c a te d th e use o f a m o d e lin g p la s tic cus­
to m tr a y , an d b y G e lle r ,37 K le in ,38 J a m ie s o n ,39
an d A p p le b y ,40 w h o a d v o c a te d th e u se o f th e
s h e lla c o r a c ry lic cu sto m tr a y c o n s tru c te d on a
p la s te r o f p a ris cast p o u re d fr o m a p re lim in a ry
im p re s s io n .
A lg in a te -ty p e m a te ria ls w e re e x p e rim e n te d
w ith o v e r m a n y y e a rs ; h o w e v e r , th e firs t A m e r ­
ic a n p a te n t w a s a w a rd e d in 1936.41 T h e n , in th e
e a rly 1940s, th e firs t irre v e rs ib le h y d ro c o llo id
(a lg in a te ) im p re s s io n m a te ria l w as d e v e lo p e d .42
T h e s e m a te ria ls w e re a c tu a lly d e v e lo p e d as a
s u b s titu te fo r th e re v e rs ib le h y d ro c o llo id s (ag ar)
w h e n th e y b e c a m e u n a v a ila b le b y im p o r t fro m
Ja p a n d u rin g W o r ld W a r I I . T h e alg in ate s h a v e
n o t b e e n w id e ly ac ce p te d fo r fin a l im p ressio ns
o f ed e n tu lo u s m o u th s , a lth o u g h so m e clin ic ia n s
h a v e suggested th e ir u se f o r c o rre c tiv e w a s h p ro ­
ce d u re s. W r ig h t43 a n d D e n e n ,44 fo r e x a m p le ,
suggested u sing a lg in a te in a b o rd e r-m o ld e d ,
p e rfo ra te d , c u s to m iz e d a c ry lic tra y . I n a n o th e r
in s ta n c e , C o lle t t45 d esc rib ed an a lg in a te te c h ­
n iq u e fo r th e m a x illa ry im p re s s io n using th e m a ­
te ria l as a w as h in a m o d e lin g p la s tic p re lim in a ry
im p re s s io n .
In 1938, th e m u co sta tic s c o n c e p t w a s in tr o ­
d u c e d b y H a r r y L . P ag e , re s u ltin g in o n e o f th e
m o st in te re s tin g c o n tro v e rs ie s to a p p e a r in th e
d e n ta l lite ra tu re . T h e a d vo c ates o f th e “ m u c o -
s ta tic s ” co n cepts such as P a g e ,46 A lb in s o n ,47
D y k i n , 48 a n d A d d is o n 49 th o u g h t th a t th e u n i­
v e rs a lly a c c e p te d c o n c e p t in v o lv in g c o m p re s ­
sio n o f th e s o ft tissues an d r e lie f o f th e h a rd areas
w as in e r ro r b eca u se h y d ro s ta tic s p ro v e d th a t
h u m a n tis s u e w as n o t a m e n a b le to e ith e r o f th ese
c o n d itio n s . T h e y b e lie v e d th a t th e im p re s s io n
s h o u ld be a n a b s o lu te ly a c c u ra te n e g a tiv e o f th e
rid g e tissues a t re s t. R e te n tio n a n d s ta b ility w e re
a ttrib u te d to in te rfa c ia l su rface te n s io n a n d to th e
fa c t th a t so ft tissu e ca n b e re n d e re d so lid u n d e r
a m u c o s ta tic base. P a s c a l’ s la w w as c ite d to a r­
gue th is p o in t; th a t is, tissues u n d e r a m u c o s ta tic
im p re s s io n a c t as a c o n fin e d liq u id , e x e rtin g
p re s s u re in a ll d ire c tio n s w h e n a fo rc e is a p p lie d .
T h e y b e lie v e d th at th e re is no n eed f o r a n y fla n g e
d e p th e x c e p t to p re v e n t la te ra l m o v e m e n t o f th e
d e n tu r e .50 T h e p ro c e d u re f o r th e m a n d ib u la r
im p re s s io n is d e s c rib e d as o n e in w h ic h , a fte r
a ll m o is tu re is re m o v e d fro m th e rid g e , a m e ta llic
o x id e p a s te is c a rrie d to th e m o u th in a tr a y fre e
o f a n y u n d e rc u ts o r im p in g e m e n ts . W h ile th e p a ­
tie n t is re la x e d as m u c h as p o s sib le, th e tr a y w ith
th e p a s te is g e n tly in s e rte d on th e rid g e . T h e fin ­
gers a re re m o v e d fro m th e m o u th , a n d th e im ­
p re s s io n is le ft u n d is tu rb e d u n til set. T o d a y , th e
m u c o s ta tic s c o n c e p t has lo s t m u c h o f th e f o llo w ­
in g i t o n c e h a d a n d is , th e re fo re , n o lo n g e r th e
s u b je c t o f c o n tro v e rs y .
I n th e m id d le 1950s th e e la s to m e ric im p re s ­
sio n m a te ria ls w e re in tro d u c e d . T h e y w e re o f
tw o c h e m ic a l ty p e s — th e p o ly s u lfid e a n d th e sil­
ic o n e b ase. I n 1955, P e a rs o n 51 re p o rte d o n “ a
n e w e la s tic im p re s s io n m a te r ia l” o f a p o ly s u lfid e
base ( T h io k o l) , d e s c rib in g , m o st lik e ly , a ty p ic a l
c o m p o s itio n o f th e s e m a te ria ls . S h o r tly th e re ­
a fte r, th e silic o n e b ase m a te ria ls w e re in tr o ­
d u c e d . T h e e a rly p ro b lem s re p o r te d ,52 w h ic h
w e re asso ciate d w ith s ilic o n e b ase m a te ria ls ,
h a v e b e e n e lim in a te d , an d th ese m a te ria ls n o w
a re a c c e p te d w id e ly fo r c lin ic a l use.
T h e e la s to m e ric im p re s s io n m a te ria ls w e re in ­
te n d e d p rim a r ily f o r m a k in g im p res sio n s fo r in ­
la y s , c ro w n s , an d fo r fix e d p a rtia l d e n tu re s , an d
a re m o s t fre q u e n tly u sed to d a y f o r th e s e p u r­
Starcke: R E VIE W OF IM P R E S SIO N M ATERIALS ■ 1039
 poses; h o w e v e r , som e p re fe r a ru b b e r base im ­
p re s s io n m a te ria l fo r c o m p le te d e n tu re fin a l im ­
p ressio n s. J o g le k a r an d S in k fo r d 53 an d M a r m o r
a n d H e r b e r ts o n 54 each d e s c rib e r u b b e r base im ­
p re s s io n p ro c e d u re s fo r m a n d ib u la r c o m p le te
d e n tu re s ; th e fo rm e r use an o p e n -m o u th te c h ­
n iq u e , th e la tte r a c lo s e d -m o u th te c h n iq u e .
A c c o rd in g to an o ral c o m m u n ic a tio n fro m
D r . E m m e tt B e c k le y , on M a y 2 2 , 1973, th e firs t
m o ld a b le a c ry lic m a te ria l, co n sistin g o f an e th y l
m e th a c ry la te a n d an e th y n o l liq u id , w as d e v e l­
o p e d b y C la r k S m ith , and h e (B e c k le y ) p e r­
fo rm e d th e firs t p ra c tic a l re s e a rc h w ith th e m a ­
te r ia l in c o m p le te d e n tu re c o n s tru c tio n .
I n 1961, C h a s e 55 firs t d e s c rib e d th e m o ld a b le
a c ry lic m a te ria l u sed f o r tissu e c o n d itio n in g and
f o r fu n c tio n a l (d y n a m ic ) im p res sio n s f o r c o m ­
p le te d e n tu re s . H e suggested th a t th e m a te ria l
b e used in an o ld d e n tu re f o r m u c o s a l c o n d itio n ­
in g an d in a s u ita b le c a rr ie r f o r d y n a m ic fin a l im ­
p re s s io n . T h ro u g h th e y e a rs , th e s o ft m o ld a b le
a c ry lic resins h a v e b een w e ll a c c e p te d an d h a v e
b e e n used to a g re a t e x te n t as tis s u e c o n d itio n ­
ers an d n o t in fre q u e n tly as im p re s s io n m a te ria ls .
For e x a m p le , P o u n d ,56 T u c k e r ,57 an d V i g 58
e a c h suggested p ro c e d u re s b y w h ic h th e soft
a c ry lic s a re u sed as fu n c tio n a l im p re s s io n m a te r­
ia ls fo r c o m p le te d en tu res.
D is c u s s io n
T h e d e n tis t o f to d a y is fo rtu n a te to h a v e a ch o ic e
o f a v a rie ty o f im p re s s io n m a te ria ls .
T h e lite ra tu re re v e a ls a w id e v a ria tio n in im ­
p re s s io n te c h n iq u e s . S e e m in g ly , th is re fle c ts th e
e m p iric a l n a tu re o f t h e ir d e v e lo p m e n t as w e ll as
th e d iffe re n c e s in th e c lin ic ia n s ’ in te rp re ta tio n
o f th e re la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n th e a n a to m y , p h y s ­
io lo g y , an d fu n c tio n o f th e s to m a to g n a th ic sys­
te m .
M a n y o f th e v a rio u s te c h n iq u e s c o n tin u e to be
q u ite w id e ly used . H o w e v e r, th e tec h n iq u es
m o s t g e n e ra lly a d v o c a te d a n d a c c e p te d a re th ose
w h ic h , w h e n u sing a m a te ria l d esig n e d to re p ro ­
d u c e d e ta il w ith m in im u m d is to rtio n , p ro d u ce s
a n in ta g lio (o r b e a rin g su rfa ce ) in th e d e n tu re ,
w ith in tim a te c o n ta c t w ith a n d m a x im u m c o v e r­
ag e (w ith in p h y s io lo g ic lim its ) o f th e su p po rtin g
tissues.
Dr. Starcke is staff prosthodontist, Veterans Administration
Hospital, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, 77031, and is clinical
1040 ■ JADA, V ol. 91, N ovem ber 1975
assistant professor in the department of restorative dentistry,
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental
Branch.
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March 1968.
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jJC Foley’s Footnotes-------------------

In my long span of research in a very extensive variety of resources, I have been able to gather only a few poems
and songs that relate even barely to dental subjects. One of those songs is a verse from a grouping of chor­
uses titled "Bible stories."

Daniel was a brave man who wouldn't

mind the king;
The king he said he never heard of such a thing;
Thrust him down a man-hole with Hons down
beneath,
But Daniel was a dentist—and pulled the lion’s
teeth!

Another selection is from “Or Dan Tucker," still sung in many parts of this country.

Old Dan Tucker was a wise old man,

He washed his face in the frying pan,
Combed his hair with the wagon wheel,
And died with a gum-bile on his heel.

There are two songs that have so far eluded my inquiring efforts. “The Handsome Young Dentist in Room
17" was sung many years ago by Dorothy Ross, a nightclub entertainer. I wrote to Lester S. Levy, who has a
collection of more than 30,000 pieces of sheet music—the most important collection of its kind in private own­
ership—and the author of Grace Notes in American History: Popular Sheet Music from 1820 to 1900 (1967).
Levy graciously replied to my query: “I wonder if it was a parody on either the ‘Daring Young Man on the Flying
Trapeze’ or ‘The Charming Young Widow I Met on the Train.' I have never seen it In sheet music form." An
additional note by the helpful Levy started me on another thus far unfruitful search: “Have you ever seen 'I’ve
Got a Sweet Tooth Bothering Me’ by Irving Berlin, 1916?” Needless to say I shall be delighted to hear from any
reader who can send me the words of these two songs bearing titles that suggest words of promise.
Gardner P. H. Foley

S tarcke: REVIEW OF IM P R E S S IO N M ATERIALS ■ 1041