History
George Franklin Grant, DMD: Renaissance Man
John M. Hyson, Jr., DDS, MS, MA
Copyright 2002 Journal of the California Dental Association.
Author: John M. Hyson, Jr., DDS, MS, MA, is the director of Archives
and History at the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry and
associate professor of oral health care delivery at the Baltimore College
of Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland.
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While George Franklin Grant may be known as the second African American dental graduate and the inventor of the golf tee, it is not generally known that he was one of the pioneers in cleft palate and speech therapy, a longtime faculty member of Harvard University’s dental school, and the founder of the Harvard Odontological Society.
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George Franklin Grant (Figure 1) was born in Oswego, N.Y., on Sept. 15, 1846. His parents in their early youth had been slaves. He was educated in the Oswego public schools, and at age 15 began studying dentistry in a preceptorship with Dr. Albert Smith in his Oswego office. In 1867, at age 21, he moved to Boston and the following year entered Harvard University Dental School. He graduated in 1870 with distinction and was the second African American to graduate from a recognized dental school in the United States. Robert T. Freeman had graduated from Harvard the year before him in 1869.1
In 1874, Grant was appointed to the Harvard faculty as a demonstrator in mechanical dentistry (operative and prosthetic dentistry), a position he held for 10 years. From 1884 to 1899, he specialized as an instructor in the treatment of cleft palate cases, inventing numerous devices for the correction and treatment of cleft palate. He was recognized as a pioneer and authority in cleft palate therapy.1
Cleft Palate Nonsurgical Treatment
By 1889, Grant had treated 115 cases of congenital cleft palate using artificial appliances to restore normal functions. His first patient was a 14-year-old girl in 1873; her surgeon recommended no surgical operation to repair the defect. She later became a teacher in the public schools. Grant thought that the importance of the constrictor pharyngeus muscle in the treatment of cleft cases was overestimated and that appliances could be made as early as the seventh year of age. He emphasized the importance of the early operation on the harelip, which generally accompanied the palatal defect, since a short and inflexible lip interfered with the articulation and obtaining a good impression.2
Prosthesis and Speech
On July 11, 1881, Grant presented a paper, "Dental Prosthesis -- Its Relation to Articulate Speech," at the American Dental Association’s 21st annual session held in New York City. He emphasized the importance of retaining the patient’s speech identity or "tone-quality" in prosthetic replacements. The voice was an important factor in the establishment of identity. He felt that the teeth presented "one-fourth of the whole amount of vibrating surface involved in the function of articulation," and that their loss deprived the tongue of its support in articulation. He recommended a thin gold metallic base for partial dentures, which combined maximum strength with minimum of bulk.3 Many years later, Grant delivered his message on the importance of prosthetic dentistry in the dental curriculum.4
Porcelain Contours
On Dec. 28, 1893, Grant read a paper on "Porcelain Contours" before the Harvard Odontological Society. He recommended pin-retained porcelain inlays for teeth so damaged that gold foils would be esthetically objectionable to the patient. He used "diamond-dust" cutting instruments. Grant believed that the profession needed "a new filling material" for these types of restorations.5
Hypnotism
Grant’s broad interests also included hypnotism; and he made a presentation on the subject on Oct. 2, 1895, before the American Academy of Dental Science of which he was a member. He opened his talk by saying that he was primarily interested in eliciting discussion on the subject, rather than "imparting any instruction as to the direct means of inducing hypnosis for the purpose of lessening the pain or reducing the dread of dental operations."6 He recommended first mastering the subject before using it and was "skeptical as to facts and cautious as to theories."7 Earlier in 1890, Carter and Turner, English dentists, had demonstrated "hypnotic anesthesia for painless tooth extractions."8
Logan Crowns
Grant’s last article, "A Review of Some Methods of Crowning Teeth," appeared in 1904. He condemned the Logan crown (all porcelain with dowel post) for causing fractured roots. He recommended platinized gold or platino-iridium alloy posts, which are malleable and ductile.9
Grant’s Invention
Although Grant has been a neglected figure among 19th century dental pioneers, he was recognized in a recent publication on the history of African Americans and the game of golf. Grant, an avid golfer, invented the golf tee. Before Grant’s invention, golfers teed up their golf balls on small mounds of damp sand. Tired of continuously having to pinch up the sand at every tee box, Grant fashioned a wooden peg to support the ball. He patented his golf tee on Dec. 12, 1899 (Figure 2). Grant never marketed his tees; he just gave them away to his friends. Finally, in 1991, the U.S. Golf Association gave Grant recognition for his contribution to the game of golf.10
Conclusion
Grant died of cancer of the liver on Aug. 21, 1910, at his summer home in Chester, New Hampshire.1 Grant truly was a "Renaissance man."
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the Countway Library of Medicine for the image of Dr. George F. Grant, and to Gil Taylor, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, for the Grant patent papers.
References
1. Werner JGW, Cooke WP, Pike CG, Memorial to Dr. Geo. Franklin Grant. Dent Cosmos, 53:125, 1911.
2. Grant GF, Baker HA. The treatment of cleft palate. J Am Med Assoc, quoted in Western Dent J 3:126-7, 1889.
3. Grant GF, Dental Prosthesis -- its relation to articulate speech. In, Trans ADA 1881, SS White Dental Mfg Co, Philadelphia, 1882, pp 149-151.
4. Massachusetts Dental Society, International Dent J 24:301, 1903.
5. Grant GF, Porcelain contours. International Dent J 15:309-12, 1894.
6. Grant GF, Hypnotism: Its value to the dental specialist. International Dent J 17:83, 1896.
7. Grant GF, Hypnotism: Its value to the dental specialist. International Dent J 17:85, 87, 1896.
8. Shaw SI, Clinical Applications of Hypnosis in Dentistry. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1958, p 3.
9. Grant GF, A review of some methods of crowning teeth. International Dent J 25:207-8, 1904.
10. Sinnette CH, Forbidden fairways: African Americans and the game of golf. Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI, 1998, pp 11, 12.
To request a printed copy of this article, please contact: John M. Hyson, Jr., DDS, MS, MA, Baltimore College of Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland; 31 S. Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201-1504 or at jhyson@dentalmuseum.umaryland.edu.
Legends
Figure 1. Dr. George Franklin Grant (courtesy of Countway Library of Medicine).
Figure 2. Grant’s 1899 golf tee patent (courtesy of U.S. Patent Office).
