Calvin Case

Dr. Calvin Suveril Case (April 24, 1847 - April 16, 1923) was an American Orthodontist who is known to be one of the earliest prominent figures in Orthodontics. Dr. Case did extensive work with Cleft Lip and Palate and is known to develop Velum Obturator. Dr. Case is famously known for his part in the Extraction Debate of 1911 that happened between Dr. Edward Angle and Dr. Case.

He was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1847. He graduated from Fayette High School (Ohio) in Jonesville in 1864. He then served in United States military during the American Civil War in 1864. After the war ended in 1865, he started studying dentistry at one of the local Dentists in Jonesville, Michigan. In 1867, he became partners with Dr. J. A. Robinson in Jackson, Michigan at his dental office. He eventually attended Ohio College of Dental Surgery and graduated from there in 1871, becoming one of the first men to graduate in Michigan state in dentistry. In 1881, he accepted a position as a Professor of Prosthetic dentistry at University of Michigan. He also studied at Medical School at University of Michigan during the same time and graduated from there in 1884. Dr. Case was married to Miss Florence Baxter in 1868.

Dr. Case participated in National Archery Tournament in Chicago in 1909 and placed 2nd in the Men's Handicap Section. He was a skilled archer, as he practiced on a court at his home in Kentworth, Illinois. Dr. Case served as President of Michigan State Dental Association from 1889-1890. He then accepted a position of Professor of Prosthetic Dentistry and Orthodontics at Chicago Dental Infirmary. In 1895, he was the President of Chicago Odontological Society. He continued teaching orthodontics at Chicago College of Dental Surgery for rest of his life.

During his life, Dr. Case published 123 articles from 1881 to 1923. His first paper was entitled Dental Education and Mechanics which was published in Ohio State Journal of Dental Science in 1881. He was author of one of the chapters in the textbook called American Textbook of Operative Dentistry in 1897. In addition he wrote several other textbooks.

Dr. Case was also known to be a pioneer dentist in relation to prosthetic correction of cleft palate. In one of the papers he published in 1885 called A Method For Producing the Kingsley Cleft Palate Velum, he described a Velum Obturator that could be used with kids that have Cleft lip and palate. This obturator was self-sustaining and it restored the function of Soft palate and allowed the wearer to speak correctly.

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