This memoir details the life of the dentist whose name is synonymous with oral implantology— the surgical replacement of teeth with implants.
Considered the founder of dental implantology, Leonard Linkow, DDS, DMSC, has extensively published and taught worldwide. He has an endowed chair in implant dentistry at New York University and most recently was professor and chairperson of the Prosthodontics Department in the School of Dentistry and the dean of Advanced Education and Research at Temple University, Philadelphia.
Currently in his late 80s, Linkow has compiled the lectures, techniques and clinical and personal history that arc his illustrious career. The collection spans from 1952 — when the newly minted dentistry graduate inserted his first implant—to his international success in changing the course of dentistry.
As Linkow looks back at his 50 years of practice, he recalls a profession initially hostile to implantology, “a very backward profession …with all of its unnecessary extractions and with the replacements of removable ‘gadgets.'” His book shows the dental profession’s progress and why his own contributions—including 34 patents, X-ray templates and surgical guide —are considered monumental.
The book’s content follows a timeline, but there are no chapters. The mix of clinical information, personal reminiscences, colleague and patient acknowledgments, clinical and personal photos, and bibliographies can feel rather chaotic, especially for readers expecting a straight narrative about the author’s life. There is also a significant amount of technical jargon. As such, the book isn’t for lay readers but will be best appreciated by practitioners. Linkow’s detailed clinical practice examples, with his rationales for different implants in different clinical settings, demonstrate the range of implants and techniques and can serve as a useful educational tool.
Practitioners willing to navigate the varied offerings in these pages will find solid information and an inspiring example of how one person overcame professional challenges to benefit dental patients and colleagues worldwide.
Also available in hardcover.
