American Dental Association Film Collection

Collection

Identifier: ACC 2023-02

Abstract

UNPROCESSED COLLECTION. Contents are 16mm film reels of varying length, all have soundtracks and image reels are a mix of color and black and white. All deal with dental, periodontal, orthodontic, or related topics and were circulated for showing in schools, community settings, and other venues by the American Dental Association (ADA). Producers included the ADA, regional dental associations, university dental schools, public health agencies, and individual practitioners.

Dates

1939-1977

Extent

4 Linear Feet (79 films contained in four boxes)

Biographical / Historical

The American Dental Association (ADA) was founded in 1859 in Niagara Falls, New York. It published its first dental education pamphlet in 1908, instructing patients on proper oral hygiene. In 1934 it entered a partnership with the U.S. Public Health Service to give dental examinations to 1.5 million children in 26 states. In 1950 the ADA endorsed fluoridation of public water, a controversial issue then and now. A few years later the association began to develop television advertisements and scripts and in 1964 produced the first color TV public service announcement by a nonprofit health agency. As 16 mm educational and instructional films became an increasingly popular means of conveying information to a range of audiences, the ADA amassed a collection of films that it loaned out, a program that was active for more than 30 years. In 1986, demand for film had long been waning and the ADA concluded it was no longer interested in maintaining a 16 mm film collection that had ceased circulating in the age of video.

Collection Summary

These 79 titles span nearly 40 years and are a subset of more than 500 films transferred to the National Library of Medicine from the American Dental Association in 1986. Most of the 500 films were individually cataloged; these are the remainder, which have been separately accessioned and can be digitized on demand. Topics include complex dental restoration procedures, public service announcements, films developed for children, and titles addressing legislation or administrative concerns. Descriptive data was gleaned from a brief manual inspection of each film.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Provenance

These films are a portion of more than 500 titles donated to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) by the American Dental Association (ADA) in 1986. The films were produced by various entities, including the ADA, and circulated widely as part of a lending program. These 79 films were not cataloged by NLM and have now been separately accessioned.