IN MEMORIAM

Ronald H. Roth, 1933-2005

The specialty of orthodontics recently lost a giant:
Dr Ronald H. Roth died on January 24, 2005. His
passing came quickly from an aggressive form of
cancer.
The name “Roth” has become familiar to most
orthodontists. Many fixed orthodontic appliances bear
the name, and “the Roth prescription” has become an
orthodontic household term. Equally notable is that
many clinicians and students in orthodontic programs
throughout the world follow what is known as the
“Roth philosophy.”
One of Roth’s chief contributions was his ever-
present insistence on the functional diagnosis and
correction of malocclusion to a properly functioning
occlusion. This included an almost passionate insis-
tence on harmonious functioning of the temporoman- Among his friends and his students alike, he never
dibular joints. wanted to be anything but simply “Ron.” He took great
His requirement that diagnostic casts be mounted pleasure in having students, colleagues, and friends
on adjustable articulators has not been uniformly ac- from every corner of the globe.
cepted. However, the excellence in finishing orthodon- Long after his departure, Ron’s teachings, beliefs,
tic treatments and obtaining esthetically and function- and friendships will remain. It does not happen often
ally optimal results that mounting produces cannot be that a luminary develops in a specialty. Ron Roth was
disputed. Ron was not afraid of testing new concepts undoubtedly one. We have been privileged to know
and new ideas. Clearly, he was among the first to Ron personally and be among his friends late in his life.
recognize the value and the importance of Larry An- During the American Association of Orthodontists’
drews’ straight-wire-appliance concepts. Similarly, he Annual Meeting in May 2004, Ron most graciously
was among the earliest users of interactive self-ligation, contributed to our discussion on the System-R interac-
proclaiming that the system would eventually replace tive self-ligation, not only by making complimentary
the conventional method of ligation and revolutionize comments, but also, in his typical manner, by bringing
biomechanics. many of his students to hear our discussion.
Mladen M. Kuftinec
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2005;128:136 New York, NY
0889-5406/$30.00
Copyright © 2005 by the American Association of Orthodontists. Maija Eltz
doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2005.05.042 Vienna, Austria

136