Alfred Civillon Fones was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut back in 1869. He graduated from the New York College of Dentistry in 1890. After graduation, he opened his office in Bridgeport. He was a licensed dentist until his death in 1938. Not much so, far right? Well this is the rest of the story.
What you may not know about Alfred is that during his time as a dentist he had an assistant (and his cousin) Irene M. Newman. Haven’t hear of Alfred or Irene? Will neither had I until now for what Alfred did was to have her clean the teeth and perform other preventive procedures making her the first dental hygienist. He opened up a school the Fones Clinic For Dental Hygienists in 1913 in a garage at 10 Washington Avenue in Bridgeport. The first class consisted of deans of the dental school, seven professors and other practitioner from the United States and beyond. Many graduates went on to jobs with the Bridgeport school district playing a major role reducing dental caries in students by 75%. His school is now located at the University of Bridgeport.
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