Journal of Orthodontics, Vol. 30, No. 2, 169-170,
June 2003
© 2003 British Orthodontic Society
A History of the British Orthodontic Societies
History committee of the BOS British Orthodontic Society, London, 2002 169 pages, hardback, £16 ISBN 1 899297 065
Kevin O’Brien
This short book is an excellent history of the British Orthodontic Societies. It has been written by a small editorial committee with the aim of providing an account of the reasons underpinning the formation of the BOS. The source of the information has been personal memories, private records, and the minutes of meetings.
The first chapter is devoted to a detailed history of the constituent groups of the BSSO and the groups that formed the British Society of Orthodontists. This is then followed by sections on education, standards, publications, specialist registration, the joint response committee, and the coming together of the Groups. The final chapter is a wonderful contribution by David DiBiase on the way forward for British Orthodontics and is a fitting end to the book. There are several appendices that provide information on such diverse matters as the response to the Schanschieff Report, to the list of the Chapman prizewinners. In general, the writing style is good, even though the Editorial Committee apologizes for it being a little disjointed. I did not find this to be the case and the chapters all flowed into each other.
I have always been interested in the history of orthodontics in the UK as this gives information on the reasons for our internationally unique system of delivery of care. Indeed, I researched into this development as part of my PhD. I wish that this book had been published when I ploughed through all the old Transactions of the BSSO for information! I feel that this is an excellent book that should be read by anyone who is interested in orthodontics as our history is important. It is also a ‘good read’ and I did not put it down once I had opened it. My only disappointment was that the history stopped when the BOS was formed and I wanted it to continue. I would like to suggest that this is a job for the Editorial Committee who produced the book and I look forward to the succeeding editions. This book is relevant to all members of the Society and I highly recommend it to everyone.
