Columbia Dentoform

Teaching devices company

Columbia Dentoform is one of the leading American manufacturer of the dental teaching phantoms and other teaching devices.

Foundation and early years 

Columbia Dentoform, established in 1917 by Ben Spitzer, a Columbia University Engineering School graduate, began as the Columbia Dental and X-Ray Company in Manhattan, New York. Initially, the company provided x-ray equipment for dental offices and sold articulators and attachments to dental laboratories. Ben Spritzer in 1917 introduced Metal Typodonts—his first manikins for dental teaching and practice—and sold them to the local New York dental schools and University of California at San Francisco (according to the info on the archived web-page of the company). These training tools were used in course work and provided an effective means to ensure basic competency before providing treatment to real patients. Soon after, the company shifted its focus exclusively to these dental models, discontinuing the x-ray equipment activity. The talented inventor developed further products that simulate the density of skin, gingival tissue, and hardened plastic called ivorine for dentition that accurately replicates permanent human teeth. Indeed, the tooth material he created has the same hardness of human teeth. Also he invented radiopaque plastic teeth for use in teaching proper radiographic techniques.

"The Columbia Dentoform company produced many dental models with teeth in various configurations to prepare students for the variety of conditions they were likely to encounter in their clinical work. In a 1933 advertisement, the company claimed to have over five hundred dentoforms and a model for almost every purpose and in 1940 the showroom in New York was referred to as “The House of a Thousand Models”. Plastics began their domination of simulator construction in the middle of the twentieth century and the models with an aluminum skull have become collectable." [Owen H, 2016]

Today

Over the years, Columbia Dentoform expanded its product line to include lifelike teaching models for dental, hygiene, and veterinary students worldwide. These models are designed to realistically simulate the human oral cavity, allowing students to practice procedures as though working on actual patients. The company also offers manikins that replicate the human head and mouth size, as well as animal typodont models for veterinary dental education. In 2017, Columbia Dentoform celebrated its 100th anniversary, marking a century of innovation in dental education. Today, as part of the DentalEZ family of brands, Columbia Dentoform continues to develop and provide high-quality simulation products, maintaining its commitment to improving the instructional process and learning experience for dental students globally.

Addresses

There are known the following addresses of the company 

• Manhattan, New York, USA
• 22-19 41st Avenue, Long Island City, NY, 11101, USA
• 34-24 Hunters Point Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101, USA
• DentalEZ, 1816 Colonial Village Lane, Lancaster, PA 17601, USA
• DentalEZ, 301 Lindenwood Drive, Ste.100, Malvern, PA 19355
• DentalEZ, 2 W Liberty Blvd Ste 160 Malvern, PA, 19355-1472, USA

References

Harry Owen. Simulation in Healthcare Education. An Extensive History. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, 2016. P.: XVI, 456. ISBN: 978-3-319-26575-9