Hans Rudolf Mühlemann (August 26, 1917 – June 1, 1997) was a Swiss dentist and medical academic. He was professor and director of the Dental Instituts University of Zurich.Hans R. Mühlemann-His Life (CV)
Life and career Hans Rudolf Mühlemann was the son of Hans Mühlemann, a bank director in St. Moritz, Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Elsa Müller, daughter of a textile industry family in Kandergrund, Canton of Bern, Switzerland. Hans R. Mühlemann attended primary school in St. Moritz, and high school in Schiers, Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. He studied both dentistry and medicine in Zürich. Already in his early childhood, he was interested in new technologies such as radio, television, telephone, computers and electronic gadgets of all kinds. He was an avid skier and ski jumper. During high school, he suffered a skiing accident that left him with a lifelong walking disability. Thereafter, his sport activity was limited to swimming and scuba diving. He completed his studies in dental medicine in 1942. Subsequently, he pursued his study of medicine at the universities of Bern, Geneva and Zürich. He received the Dr.Med.Dent. (DDS) degree in 1945 and Dr. Med. (DMS) in 1948, both from the University of Zurich.
From 1946 through 1951, he was a teacher/instructor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Zurich, and for a short time also in the Department of Oral Surgery. During this time, he invented the “propulsor”, a device for treating jaw malformations.[MUHLEMANN HR. Further experiences with the propulsor. SSO Schweiz Monatsschr Zahnheilkd. 1950 Oct;60(10):962-85] In 1951, he completed his postdoctoral thesis at the University of Zurich, based upon his research in the area of physiologic and pathologic tooth mobility.MUHLEMANN HR. Measurement of dental mobility as a diagnostic and prognostic aid in paradontology]. Paradentologie. 1950 Sep;4(3):110-9. Thereafter, he pursued post-graduate education/training in the Department of Radiology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, where he studied the use of radioactive isotopes for marking tissues.SWISS DENT 1/2018 At the university of Minnesota, he worked in the Department of Periodontology, gaining experience with primate model research systems. In 1953, he was called to chair the Department of Cariology and Periodontology at the University of Zurich, and was selected in 1963 as Director of the Dental Institute at the University of Zurich.Brunner Th, Hirzel HC (Hrsg.). Kurzporträt Abteilungsvorsteher 1953-1983 Hans R. Mühlemann. in: 100 Jahre Zentrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde der Universität Zürich (1985-1995) pp 124-139. Zürich: Rohr, (Schriften zur Zürcher Universitäts- und Gelehrtengeschichte; 10) 1995
At the time that Mühlemann was selected for a chairmanship in Zurich in 1953, Switzerland and much of Europe was in desperate straits in terms of dental/oral health. Dental offices were booked up for months in advance, and there was a shortage of dentists. There was scarcely time for the placement of adequate restorations. In the post-war years, children in Switzerland developed four carious teeth per year; frequently, the first permanent molars were extracted in 7- to 9-year-olds for “prophylactic” reasons.Marthaler TM: Decrease of DMF-levels 4 years after the introduction of a caries-preventive program, observations in 5,819 schoolchildren of 20 communities. Helv Odontol Acta 1972; 16:45–68
During his years in the United States, Mühlemann had learned that caries incidence could be significantly reduced through fluoridation of the communal water supply. The assumption at that time was that fluoride by way of the blood vascular system would be incorporated into tooth substance during tooth development, and positively affect caries resistance. Mühlemann was able to demonstrate that fluoride was also effective when applied topically after tooth eruption; this led him to the development of fluoride-containing dentifrice and mouthwash, and also to the fluoridation of table salt.Mühlemann, H.R. und König, K.G. (Editor/Publisher.): The Present Status of Caries Prevention with Fluorine-containing Dentifrices. Bern und Stuttgart (Verlag H. Huber) 1961 He created a Caries Research Station led by Klaus G. König, who was called to a professorship in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1968.Regolati B, König KG, Mühlemann HR. Effects of topically applied disinfectants on caries in fissures and smooth surfaces of rat molars. Helv Odontol Acta. 1969 Apr;13(1):28-31.
Mühlemann was a member of numerous Swiss (SGP, SSO, ARPA, SSP) and international dental organizations (ORCA, FDI, ADA, AAP).
Mühlemann died on June 1, 1997, in Zürich.
Research Together with Thomas M. Marthaler and Klaus G. König, Mühlemann organized a symposium in Zürich in 1961 to disseminate his ideas about caries prevention. Using practical measures such as tooth brushing with fluoride, proper at-home tooth cleaning methods, and reduction of sugar consumption, he called for the cessation of the caries epidemic. Numerous research studies emanating from the Caries Research Station demonstrated which foodstuffs were responsible for rapid caries development. Mühlemann was able to demonstrate that topically applied fluoride reduced the acid solubility of tooth enamel and therewith incidence of dental caries.Mühlemann HR. The cariostatic effect of amine fluorides. I. 10 years of experiences]. Quintessenz. 1967 May;18(5):113-20. II. Quintessenz. 1967 Jun 6;18(6):123-7 These studies led Mühlemann to the conclusion that fluoride incorporated into a dentifrice could exert a caries prophylactic effect. This conclusion was substantiated by numerous researchers at the University of Zurich Dental Institute. (Marthaler/Mühlemann/König: elmex® researchMarthaler TM, König KG, Mühlemann HR. The effect of a fluoride gel used for supervised toothbrushing 15 or 30 times per year. Helv Odontol Acta. 1970 Oct;14(2):67-77). Over the course of 45 years, Prof. Thomas M. Marthaler conducted epidemiologic studies of Zürich school children; these were repeated every four years. This permitted Marthaler to report a 95% reduction of dental caries in 7- to 14-year-olds in Zürich and overall in Switzerland in the period from 1964 to 2006. A significant component of this success was the development and marketing of non-sucrose sweeteners and food additives. Mühlemann and his colleagues developed a radio-telemetric method for determination of the damaging potential of sweeteners.Graf H, Mühlemann HR. Telemetry of plaque pH from interdental area. Helv Odontol Acta. 1966 Oct;10(2):94-101. Products with low caries-inducing potential were permitted to use this fact in marketing endeavors. To this end, Mühlemann initiated a signet that could be used on products shown to be safe for teeth.Imfeld T, Hirsch RS, Mühlemann HR. Telemetric recordings of interdental plaque pH during different meal patterns. Br Dent J. 1978 Jan 17;144(2):40-5 This signet, a healthy tooth under a broad umbrella, is acknowledged today the world over.
During this intense period of laboratory and clinical research, Mühlemann founded the Continental European Division of the International Association of Dental Research (CED-IADR, 1964–65).
In addition to Klaus G. König and Thomas M. Marthaler, other coworkers supported and enhanced Mühlemann's endeavors and were individually successful in their academic careers. These include names such as Hubert E. Schroeder, founder of Oral Structural Biology in Zurich,Schroeder HE. Orale Strukturbiologie. Stuttgart, Thieme Verlag; 2009 Bruno Regolati, who continued the research in caries prevention, Hans Graf and Thomas Imfeld, who advanced and perfected intraoral pH-telemetry, and Bernhard Guggenheim, who demonstrated the significance of oral microbiology and immunology.Guggenheim B, Guggenheim M, Gmür R, Giertsen E, Thurnheer T. Application of the Zürich biofilm model to problems of cariology. Caries Res. 2004 May-Jun;38(3):212-22
In addition to these endeavors with dental caries, Mühlemann devoted himself as early as the 1960s to the treatment and prevention of periodontitis. In close collaboration with Klaus H. Rateitschak, Heinz H. Renggli, Jean-Pierre Bernimoulin, Zvonimir Curilovic and Herbert F. Wolf, he presented continuing education courses and wrote textbooks dealing with the pathophysiology and the systematic therapy of periodontitis.Wolf H, Rateitschak E, Rateitschak KH. Parodontologie, 3. Aufl. Stuttgart: Thieme; 2004: 10-11 His textbooks became the gold standards for dental students in Switzerland, and were translated into many different languages.
The introduction of the profession of Dental Hygiene was another of Mühlemann's goals, which he supported vigorously. Since 1973, four dental hygiene schools were founded, educating auxiliary personnel for the prevention of oral diseases and for conservative periodontal therapy.Calderoli G. Allreed H. Saxer, U.P. and Winter J.E.: Role and training of auxiliary dental staff in the council of Europe member state and Finland. Coordinated Medical Research, Programme, Strasbourg, European Public Health Committee, 1981, The very first Dental Hygiene school was in Zürich, developed and directed by Ulrich P. Saxer, who had trained under Mühlemann.Saxer U.P. Turconi B. and Elsässer Ch. Patient motivation with the papillary bleeding index. J Prev Dent 4, 20-22, 1977
After the caries epidemic in Switzerland was brought under control as a result of scientific research, fluoridated dentifrice, salt fluoridation and fluoridation of communal water supplies in Basel, Mühlemann focused his energies into other projects.Imfeld T. Schmid R. Lutz F. Saxer UP. Barbakow F. Cariology, Zürich 1953 – 1983. Some Aspects of One Man's, SWISS DENT 4 (1983), 7-8, 7 – 19 Mühlemann's students Felix Lutz and Werner H. Mörmann improved the quality of dental restorations through innovative techniques and the use of newer composite restorations,Lutz F: New concepts in therapeutic cariology. In: Guggenheim B: Proceedings of 'Cariology Today'. Karger, Basel, pp. 308-316, 1984. as well as ceramic CAD/CAM technology (CEREC)Mörmann WH. The evolution of the CEREC system.J Am Dent Assoc. 2006 Sep;137 Suppl:7S-13S.
Publications Mühlemann published his research results in more than 400 scientific papers. His textbook “Introduction to Oral Preventive Medicine” (1974d/1976e) became a standard text for students of dental medicine.
In order to give the public broad information about the many practical research results from his laboratories and clinics, Mühlemann organized a dental public health exhibition displayed in many department stores and shopping centers in Switzerland, and even on busses and street cars. It was known as “Healthy Smile – Joyful Mouth.” The exhibit became a road show for over eight years in most Swiss cities, and was presented by Dental Hygienists and other dental auxiliary personnel. By way of this national exhibition and the first Dental Hygiene school in Switzerland, Mühlemann's concept of good, preventive dental care was disseminated to a wide audience of lay persons.Wanderausstellung: Lachen gesund-Freude am Mund. SWISS DENT (3)1982, Nr.3, 11 (pdf. mit Bewilligung der Verlag Dr. Felix Wüst, AG) - Wanderausstellung über Mundhygiene im Tivoli: Lachen gesund- Freude am Mund. Tages-Anzeiger, Zürich. 3. Feb. 1979; La salvaguardia dei propri denti: interessante rassegna al Serfontana. Giornale del popolo, Lugano 13. Sept. 1979; „Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir“. Nouvelliste et Feuille d’avis du Valais. Sion, 27. Septembre, 1980;
He founded and published Helvetica Odontologica Acta (HOA), a Swiss dental journal published in the English language. He founded the “Journal of Clinical Periodontology” in 1972, and was its first editor.
Textbooks