Benjamin Franklin's 300 Year-Old Tooth Refurbished in Boston Dental Office

BOSTON, MA, January 29, 2005 -

Dr. Jack D. Rosenberg of Advanced Dental Care in Burlington, MA and Dr. Steven D. Spitz, of Smileboston Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry in Boston, MA restored a tooth believed to have been extracted from America's Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).

Drs. Rosenberg and Spitz received the tooth in four pieces, after the larger root was resected so that it could be tested for the Y-chromosome markers to determine that it might be the DNA of Benjamin Franklin. In order to obtain the DNA, Dr. David Browdy, a Lynbrook, New York-based endodontist and pioneer in laser endodontics, resected the tooth. He and Dr. L. David Roper, a genealogist and fellow Franklin scholar, chose Drs. Rosenberg and Spitz, pioneers in the development of advanced surgical techniques in the field of laser dentistry and experts in restorative dentistry, to restore the tooth back to its original state in Dr. Spitz's Boston office. The resection and restoration were completed using the water-based Waterlase laser (Biolase Technologies) as the Waterlase would ultimately be less invasive as other means of resection and restoration could not.

Drs. Rosenberg and Spitz, using the Waterlase laser, restored the crown and placed it back into the acorn receptacle (see video press release at www.nickersonpme.com). Dr. Browdy replaced the piece of original paper stuffing back into the acorn to surround and protect the restored tooth. A small note about the history of the tooth was laminated and put into the bottom of the acorn underneath the restored tooth.

All Drs. on this project have educational ties to the Boston area; Drs. Rosenberg, Spitz and Browdy are each graduates of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Roper received his degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Spitz is also a graduate of Harvard University School of Dental Medicine's post-graduate program.

Smileboston Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry is a Boston-based dental office specializing in full-mouth rehabilitation using advanced laser techniques. Dr. Steven D. Spitz is a Prosthodontist, and an expert in dental laser techniques, dental implant placement and tooth restoration. His specialty is taking the fear out of dentistry for all patients.

Advanced Dental Care is a Burlington-based dental office utilizing the most advanced techniques in laser dentistry treatments. Dr. Jack D. Rosenberg is a General Dentist and an expert in applications of dental lasers for tooth and gum treatment for patients of all ages.

South Shore Endodontics is a Lynbrook, NY based office, limited to endodontics. Dr. David Browdy is a pioneer and expert in laser root canal therapy and employs cutting edge, pain-free laser techniques for all patients.

Nickerson PR, Marketing & Events, Inc., is a Cambridge-based company offering a strategic blend of communications services that will deliver messages precisely matched to the client's specific criteria. NPME provides expertise in the areas of public relations, strategic marketing and event management. For further information please visit www.nickersonpme.com.

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