Among all the history found in Niagara Falls, like its connections to the Underground Railroad and development of hydropower, dentistry probably does not come to mind.
The American Dental Association unveiled the new location of its plaque at the corner of Old Falls Street and Rainbow Boulevard, commemorating the spot where the organization was founded. The International Hotel was located there when dentists met on Aug. 4, 1859, for a national conference that would create the ADA.
As concerns rose about unscientific practices and the direction of the profession, 26 dentists left the conference, convened at Grant Hall across the street, and established a new organization dedicated to advancing dentistry through scientific principles, professional ethics and best practices.
“We are very proud of the fact that the largest and most influential national dentists organization in the world was founded right here in the Falls,” said Dr. Lawrence Volland of the Niagara County Dental Society.
Dr . John Craig, the executive director of the 8th District Dental Society, said the plaque was first dedicated at this spot for the ADA’s 100th anniversary in 1959, when there was a Sears Roebuck building now occupying the former hotel’s land. The plaque was moved into the Wintergarden that took Sears’ place, with a replacement monument unveiled in 2005, when Volland was the New York state president for the ADA.
After the Wintergarden closed, that plaque was placed in a local park until 2015, getting lost during Empire State Development’s various work projects in downtown Niagara Falls.
“It took us until three months ago to figure out that Empire State Development actually had the plaque,” Craig said. After that, they subsequently worked with State Parks to adorn it on a boulder at the original site.
Currently boasting 159,000 members, the ADA supports the dental profession mainly through advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. Some of their current advocacy efforts include increasing the amount that dental school students can take out in loans and having Medicaid cover dental care nationwide.
“This plaque … is going to signify the longevity, commitment, ethics, and important role the profession of dentistry contributes to our society at large,” said Dr. Brendan Dowd.