Making The American Mouth

Making the American Mouth is at once a history of United States dentistry and a study of a billion-dollar industry. Alyssa Picard chronicles how dentists strove to expand dental care access and improve their image despite early strains concerning fights over fluoride, midcentury social movements for racial and gender equity, and pressure to insure dental costs. While Picard explains how dentists have come to promote their care as a cosmetic service, for many Americans the perfect smile will still remain a distant dream.