Dr. Pankey's definition of professionalism was 'that quality of conduct which accompanies the use of superior knowledge, skill and judgment toward the benefit of another person or society prior to any consideration of self-interest.'Dr. Pankey changed the course of dentistry because his mother's dentures were a constant, painful irritation. When he first began practicing dentistry, it was common to simply pull teeth rather than restore them and most people expected to lose all their teeth in old age. Dr. Pankey's mother told him one day, 'I hope you aren't doing to others what was done to me' (all teeth pulled). From that day forward, he vowed to never pull another tooth.

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