Ernest Sheldon Friel (1888 – 2 February 1970), was an Irish dentist who was the first specialist

orthodontist Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, and misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial ...

to practise in the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...

, and the second in Europe, going on to become the first Professor of Orthodontics in Europe. His obituary in ''The Journal of the Irish Dental Association'' described him as the most distinguished dentist that Ireland had ever produced.

Academic and clinical career

Friel studied at

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, graduating in 1908 and receiving a master's degree in dental science in 1909. During this period he also undertook specialist orthodontic studies under the father of modern orthodontics,

Edward Angle Edward Hartley Angle (June 1, 1855 – August 11, 1930) was an American dentist, widely regarded as "the father of American orthodontics". He was trained as a dentist, but made orthodontics his speciality and dedicated his life to standardizing ...

, in the United States. In 1909 he established an orthodontic practice in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, the first in the British Isles. In 1910 he was appointed as Lecturer in Orthodontics at Trinity, receiving a

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

degree in 1928. In 1941 the college created the first professorship in orthodontics in Europe and appointed Friel to the position. For many years following this he was the only professor of orthodontics in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. Friel was a pioneer in the use of

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

, rather than the previously preferred gold, for the manufacture of orthodontic devices. Other research interests were

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

testing and training, the relation of function to the size and form of

jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...

s, the migration of teeth and

occlusion Occlusion may refer to: Health and fitness * Occlusion (dentistry), the manner in which the upper and lower teeth come together when the mouth is closed * Occlusion miliaria, a skin condition * Occlusive dressing, an air- and water-tight trauma ...

Professional societies

Friel was a founder member of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics and was prominent in the society in its early years, acting as its president in 1924. He was president of the Irish Dental Association in 1932, of the European Orthodontic Society from 1935 to 1937, and of the Odontological Section of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...

in 1949. In 1945 Friel undertook a campaign in the profession for the greater specialisation of orthodontics in Britain at a time when much treatment was undertaken by non-specialist dentists.

Awards and fellowships

In 1948 Friel was awarded a Fellowship of the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

, and in 1951 of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

. He received the Villain Prize in orthodontics from the

Fédération Dentaire Internationale FDI World Dental Federation, often shortened to FDI (french: Fédération Dentaire Internationale), is the world's leading organization representing the dental profession. It serves as the principal representative body for over one million dent ...

in 1957, and in 1960 he became the first person outside North America to receive the

Ketcham Award Ketcham is a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Dennis Ketcham (born 1946), son of Hank Ketcham and inspiration for ''Dennis the Menace'' * Hank Ketcham (1920–2001), creator of the American cartoon strip ''Dennis the Menace'' * Ha ...

from the

American Board of Orthodontics American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is a non-profit professional association for orthodontists founded in 1929. History The organization was first established as ''the American Board of Orthodontia'' in 1929 and later changed its name to the A ...

. In 1962 he was elected an honorary fellow of

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

Legacy

Three years after Friel's death his family provided funding to the European Orthodontic Society for the annual Sheldon Friel Memorial Lecture.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friel, Sheldon 1888 births 1970 deaths Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Irish dentists Irish medical researchers Honorary Fellows of Trinity College Dublin Orthodontists 20th-century dentists People in health professions from County Waterford