Hans Rudolf Mühlemann

Hans Rudolf Mühlemann (born August 26, 1917 in St. Moritz ; † June 1, 1997 in Zurich ), reformed , resident in St. Moritz GR and Bönigen BE , was a Swiss dentist , human medicine, professor and director of the University's Dental Institute Zurich .

Life

Hans Rudolf Mühlemann was the son of Hans Mühlemann, bank director in St. Moritz and Elsa Müller, daughter of a textile industrial family in Kandergrund , Canton Bern . He attended primary schools in St. Moritz and high school in Schiers . He was an avid skier and ski jumper. As a high school student, he suffered a skiing accident that resulted in a lifelong handicap. Mühlemann studied dentistry at the University of Zurich and graduated in 1942. He then studied medicine at the Universities of Geneva , Bern and Zurich. In 1945 he was awarded a Dr. med. dent. and in 1948 there as a Dr. med. PhD.

From 1946 to 1951 he worked in the orthodontic department and, for a short time, in the orthodontic department of the Dental Institute of the University of Zurich . During this time he developed, among other things, the "Propulsor", a device for correcting jaw malformations. In 1951 he completed his habilitation at the University of Zurich with a thesis on the physiological and pathological mobility of teeth. This was followed by training stays at the Department of Radiology at the University of Illinois in Chicago and a stay in Tennessee at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory . Here he learned how to use radioactive isotopes to mark tissues. In Minnesota , he worked in the Department of Periodontics and gained research experience on the primate model. In 1953 he was appointed to the chair of cariology and periodontology at the University of Zurich, and in 1963 he was elected director of the Dental Institute at the University of Zurich.

When Mühlemann was appointed to Zurich in 1953, Switzerland and large parts of Europe were backward in terms of dentistry. The dental practices were fully booked for months and there was a shortage of dentists. There was hardly any time to put the correct fillings. After the World War, children in Switzerland developed an average of four carious lesions per year and, for prophylactic reasons, the 6-year-old molars were often extracted at the age of 7 to 9.

In the USA, Mühlemann had learned that the incidence of caries could be reduced by using drinking water fluoridation . At that time, it was assumed that the fluoride during tooth formation in the bloodstream would cause increased resistance to caries by being deposited in the teeth. Mühlemann was able to prove that fluorides also have a local effect after a tooth eruption, which is why he was interested in fluoride-containing toothpastes and mouthwashes as well as in salt fluoridation. He founded a caries research station, which was managed by Klaus G. König, who was appointed professor in Nijmegen in 1968 .

Mühlemann was a member of Swiss (ZGZ, SSO , ARPA, SSP) and international dental associations (ORCA, FDI , ADA , AAP ). The life, teaching and work of Hans R. Mühlemann were honored in 2017/2018 in three issues of the Swiss magazine Swiss Dent dedicated to him . In anthology 1/2017, the publications that Hans R. Mühlemann had published in this journal between 1980 and 1985 were reissued. In Swiss Dent 1/2018, former Mühlemann assistants and employees reported in a series of articles entitled “Companions remember” about their time at the recipient. This edition was finally published as Swiss Dent 2/2018 also in English translation (“Companions Remember”).

research

Together with Thomas M. Marthaler and Klaus G. König, Mühlemann presented his ideas on caries prevention at a symposium in Zurich in 1961. He wanted to put a stop to the caries epidemic with practical measures such as tooth cleaning with fluorides, learning how to clean teeth effectively and restricting sugar consumption.

Studies at the caries research station showed which foods were responsible for the rapid development of caries. Mühlemann was able to prove that the acid solubility of tooth enamel could be reduced by locally applied fluoride and thus the frequency of caries could be reduced. From these data, Mühlemann concluded that fluorides integrated in toothpastes could have a caries prophylactic effect. This assumption has been proven by several scientists from the Dental Institute in Zurich (Marthaler / Mühlemann / König: elmex ^R research).

Signet (logo): "Tooth man"

For 45 years, Thomas M. Marthaler carried out epidemiological studies among Zurich school youths, which were repeated every four years. Between 1964 and 2006, he was able to demonstrate a 95% reduction in tooth decay in 12 to 14 year olds in Zurich and Switzerland. The development and labeling of tooth-friendly sweets were partly responsible for this success. Mühlemann and his colleagues developed a telemetric method to measure the harmfulness of sweets to teeth. Products that were able to prove that they were less harmful to the teeth were given the opportunity to use this dental progress in marketing. To this end, Mühlemann initiated a logo that identifies tooth-friendly products. This sign, a healthy tooth under a broad umbrella, is known worldwide today as the «male tooth».

During this intensive period of research, Mühlemann was the founder of the continental European section of the International Society for Dental Research (CED-IADR, 1964–65).

In addition to Klaus G. König and Thomas M. Marthaler, Mühlemann supported and promoted 12 other post-doctoral candidates in their academic careers. Among them were Hubert E. Schroeder, who founded oral structural biology in Zurich , Bruno Regulati, who continued work on caries research, Hans Graf and Thomas Imfeld, who introduced and perfected pH telemetry on teeth, and Bernhard Guggenheim, who highlighted the importance of oral microbiology and immunology.

In addition to this work, Mühlemann dealt with the therapy and prevention of periodontitis at the beginning of the 1960s. In close collaboration with Klaus H. Rateitschak, Heinz H. Renggli, Jean-Pierre Bernimoulin, Zvonimir Curilovic and Herbert F. Wolf, he gave courses and wrote textbooks that vividly illustrate the pathophysiology and systematic therapy of periodontitis . These textbooks have become the standard literature of dentistry students and have been translated into various languages.

The introduction of dental hygienists (DH) in Switzerland was another goal of Hans Rudolf Mühlemann, which he actively supported. Since 1973, four dental hygiene schools in Switzerland have trained specialists in the prevention of oral diseases and in conservative periodontal therapy. The first school for dental hygiene was founded in Zurich under the direction and development of Ulrich P. Saxer, who worked at Mühlemann and completed his habilitation.

After the wave of caries in Switzerland was curbed as a result of scientific activities, fluoridated toothpastes, salt fluoridation and also drinking water fluoridation (TWF) in Basel, Mühlemann also focused on other topics. Mühlemann's post-doctoral students Felix Lutz and Werner H. Mörmann improved the quality of the fillings through innovative techniques when using new composite fillings and through ceramic CAD / CAM technology (CEREC) .

Publications (selection)

Mühlemann published his research results as an author and co-author in more than 200 publications. As an author, he appeared in three editions. His book: Introduction to Oral Preventive Medicine (1974d / 1976e) became a standard work for dentistry students.

In order to allow the population to participate more intensively in the results of caries research, Mühlemann organized a public exhibition in the largest department store in Zurich (Jelmoli): "Lachen Gesund - Freude am Mund". This exhibition was then shown as a road show for around eight years in most cities in Switzerland in railroad cars, buses or in department stores, accompanied by dental hygiene specialists. With this exhibition, Mühlemann and the first Swiss DH school were able to bring the benefits of good preventive dental care closer to a broad audience.

As editor he was the director of the Helvetica Odontologica Acta (HOA), which he founded . In 1972 he founded the renowned Journal of Clinical Periodontology (JCP), of which he was the first editor.

Reference books

• Introduction to oral preventive medicine: a course for the first clinical attempts at walking. Verlag Huber, 1974, ISBN 3-4568-0032-0 , 404 pages
• with Klaus H. Rateitschak, Heinz H. Renggli: Periodontology: healthy periodontium, epidemiology, etiology, diagnostics, prophylaxis and therapy of periodontal diseases. Verlag Thieme, 1978, ISBN 3-1338-7802-6 , 274 pages

in trade journals

• Sugar substitutes and plaque-pH-telemetry in caries prevention. J Clin Periodontol. 1979; 6 (7), pp. 47-52. PMID 44305
• Psychological and chemical mediators of gingival health. J Prev Dent. 1977; 4 (4), pp. 6-17. PMID 275483
• Intra-oral radiotelemetry. Int Dent J. 1971; 21 (4), pp. 456-465. PMID 4948678
• Tooth mobility: a review of clinical aspects and research findings. J Periodontol. 1967; 38 (6), pp. 686-713. PMID 4867300

Honors

Mühlemann received several honors:

• 1959 the ORCA Prize
• 1960 the ARPA Jaccard Prize
• the title of Dr. hc from the Karolinska Institute Stockholm
• 1972 Award for Advancement of Dental Research in Boston
• 1973 IADR Oral Therapeutics Award
• 1973 the Otto Naegeli Prize
• more Dr. hc med. dent. different universities.

The Swiss Society for Periodontology (SSP) awards the Hans-R.-Mühlemann Research Prize , which is awarded every four years at the General Assembly of the SSP. HR Mühlemann had also founded the company.

Web links

• Swiss-Dent-1-2017.pdf
• Swiss-Dent-1-2018.pdf
• Swiss-Dent-2-2018.pdf

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hans R. Mühlemann-His Life (CV)
2. ↑ Lutz F. and Rateitschak KH. On the passing of Hans Rudolf Mühlemann. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), 1997, No. 132. P. 57.
3. ^ HRM, June 1981: CV-Hans R. Mühlemann-his Life. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; accessed on February 18, 2018 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
4. ↑ MUHLEMANN HR . Further experiences with the propulsor. SSO Switzerland Monthly Dentistry. 1950 Oct; 60 (10): 962-85.
5. ↑ Brunner Th, Hirzel HC (ed.). Brief portrait of the head of department 1953-1983 Hans R. Mühlemann. in: 100 Years of the Center for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine at the University of Zurich (1985-1995) pp 124-139. Zurich: Rohr, (Writings on Zurich University and Scholarly History; 10) 1995 ISBN 3-85865-209-1
6. ↑ Marthaler ™. Changes in Dental Curies. Caries Res 2004; 38: 173-181
7. ↑ Thomas Marthaler: Salt fluoridation and oral health. In: Acta Medica Academica. 42, 2013, p. 140, doi : 10.5644 / ama2006-124.82 .
8. ↑ B. Regolati, KG King, HR Mühlemann: Effects of topically Applied disinfectants on caries in fissures and smooth surfaces of rat molars. In: Helvetica odontologica acta. Volume 13, Number 1, April 1969, pp. 28-31, PMID 5783811 .
9. ↑ Mühlemann, HR and König, KG (eds.): The Present Status of Caries Prevention with Fluorine-containing Dentifrices. Bern and Stuttgart (Verlag H. Huber) 1961.
10. ^ Imfeld T. Schmid R. Lutz F. Saxer UP. Barbakow F. Cariology, Zurich 1953-1983. Some Aspects of One Man's, SWISS DENT 4 (1983), 7-8, 7-19.
11. ↑ Mühlemann HR.The cariostatic effect of amine fluorides. I. 10 years of experiences]. Quintessence. 1967 May; 18 (5): 113-20. II. Quintessence. 1967 Jun 6; 18 (6): 123-7
12. ↑ Steiner M, Menghini G, Marthaler TM, et al. Changes in dental caries in Zurich school-children over a period of 45 years. Switzerland Mschr Zahnmed 2010; 120: 1084-1094
13. ↑ Graf H, Mühlemann HR.Telemetry of plaque pH from interdental area. Helv Odontol Acta. 1966 Oct; 10 (2): 94-101.
14. ↑ Imfeld T, Hirsch RS, Mühlemann HR. Telemetric recordings of interdental plaque pH during different meal patterns. Br Dent J. 1978 Jan 17; 144 (2): 40-5
15. ↑ Schroeder HE. Oral structural biology. Stuttgart, Thieme Verlag; 2009
16. ↑ Guggenheim B1, Guggenheim M, Gmür R, Giertsen E, Thurnheer T. Application of the Zurich biofilm model to problems of cariology. Caries Res. 2004 May-Jun; 38 (3): 212-22.
17. ↑ Guggenheim B. Meier A. The in-vitro effect of chlorhexidine-containing mouthwashes on polyspecies biofilms.Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnmed 2011: 121: 437-441.
18. ↑ Wolf H, Rateitschak E, Rateitschak KH. Parodontologie, 3rd edition Stuttgart: Thieme; 2004: 10-11
19. ^ Saxer UP, Mühlemann HR. Motivation and education. SSO Switzerland Monthly Dentistry. 1975 Sep; 85 (9): 905-19.
20. ↑ Schöneich Wolgensinger B. Pioneer in matters of dental hygiene. Dimensions 2010 (No 3) 16-18
21. ^ Lutz F: New concepts in therapeutic cariology. In: Guggenheim B: Proceedings of 'Cariology Today'. Karger, Basel, pp. 308-316,1984.
22. ^ Mörmann, WH: The origin of the CEREC method: a personal review of the first 5 years. Int J Comp Dent 2004; 7: 11-24
23. ^ Mörmann WH. The evolution of the CEREC system. J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Sep; 137 Suppl: 7S-13S.
24. ↑ Traveling exhibition: Laughing healthily - enjoying your mouth. Swiss Dent. November 3, 1982 (pdf. With permission from the publisher Dr. F. Wüst, Swiss Dent)
25. ↑ Laughing Healthy - Enjoying Your Mouth. Mn: Anzeiger der Stadt St. Gallen, June 9, 1978; Nice laughs who have nice teeth. Walter Plüss: Ringier's entertainment sheets, Zofingen, June 14, 1978; So that laughter is fun. Gw. Lucerne Latest News, Lucerne, June 24, 1978; Laugh healthy - enjoy your mouth. The federal government, Bern. October 12, 1978; Traveling exhibition on modern oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay and periodontitis. We bridge builders, Zurich, Jan. 19, 1979; Traveling exhibition on oral hygiene in Tivoli: Laughing healthily - enjoying your mouth. Tages-Anzeiger, Zurich. Feb. 3, 1979; Dental prophylaxis in the globe. Basellandschaftliche Zeitung, Liestal, March 15, 1979; Laughing healthy - joy in the mouth: Fatherland, May 11, 1979; An instructive exhibition in the “Urner Tor” - topic: “Laughing healthily - enjoying your mouth” Gotthard Post. Sept. 1, 1979; La salvaguardia dei propri denti: interesting rassegna al Serfontana. Giornale del popolo, Lugano September 13, 1979; In the fight against one of the "popular epidemics". Lichtensteiner Vaterland, Vaduz, June 21, 1980; "Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir". Nouvelliste et Feuille d'avis du Valais. Sion, September 27, 1980; 900 million for tooth damage - does that have to be? Bündner Zeitung, Chur. June 11, 1981; Laughing healthy, enjoying your mouth: Tuesday 19th to Saturday 30th January in the Sarnen-Center, Sarnen. Anzeiger des Kantons Obwalden, Sarnen, Jan. 21, 1982; Laugh healthy - enjoy your mouth. Grenchner Tagblatt, Aug. 26, 1982 & Solothurner Zeitung.