ROGER. X. O'MEYER. Vintage Medal. Black Patinate hotsell Bronze by J. Joachim. 1977. France

ROGER. X. O'MEYER. Vintage Medal. Black Patinate Bronze by J. Joachim. 1977. France

Obverse legend: RODGER. X. O'MEYER
Obverse description: Face Profile Roger X. O'Meyer*
Signature: J. Joachim

Reverse legend: **EN HOMMAGE AU PROFESSEUR ROGER. X. O'MEYER LA SOCIETE FRANCAISE D'ORTOPEDIE DENTO-FACIALE SES ELEVES SES AMIS
(In tribute to professor Roger. X. O'meyer the french society of dentofacial orthopedics his students his friends)
Reverse description: Text

Front engraver: J. Joachim

Metal: Bronze
Diameter: 68 mm
Thickness: 7.5 mm
Weight: 166 g.
Edge: smooth
Puncheon: 1977, BRONZE

* Roger X. O'Meyer was the only child of poor parents, born on 14 January 1911 in Pantin.
After earning a Certificate of Primary studies, he was admitted to the higher studies course.
In 1924, at the age of 13, he started work as an apprentice dental technician at one of the last licensed dentist offices in Paris.
In 1929, having reached the position of first technician in a dental office, he returned to school to earn his Secondary School certificate. That same year, at the age of 20, he was admitted to the Odontological School of Paris
Between 1931 and 1936, while continuing to work as a prosthetic technician, he made use of his uncommon capacity for work and a prodigious memory to complete his dentistry studies, obtaining a degree in Dental Surgery on 8 July, 1936.
Upon receiving his diploma, he opened a dental office.
With his military service completed and after the outbreak of the war, he set up his office in Paris at the end of 1940. He operated a general practice until 1960, progressively dedicating more of his time to orthodontics.
Beginning in 1941, he split his professional time between his practice and teaching dentistry at the Odontological School in the rue Garancière. He took a temporary position in the Orthodontics department of Prof. Pierre Tacail.
He became interested in maxillofacial surgery and orthodontic issues. He became Clinic Assistant, then Head of Clinic on Mrs Tacail's staff in 1946, then Temporary Lecturer in Orthodontics in 1950.
In 1949 he decided to work exclusively in orthodontics.
"After several years I decided to concentrate all my work on orthodontics, something that in 1949 appeared to be unattainable.
For this I sacrificed my dental practice and decided to go to the United States for two years to obtain something unavailable in France or in Europe, a Masters degree in Orthodontics".
In 1951, he set a challenge for himself in leaving for the US to take up a new training course in orthodontics He overcame the language barrier and succeeded brilliantly at the University of Chicago. His academic course was directed by Allan Brodie, the uncontested master of world orthodontics and amongst his instructors were such names as Downs, Renfroe and Subtelny, to name a few…
In 1953, he earned a Master of Sciences in Dentistry Orthodontics , which he supported by an original thesis on changes in alveolar processes.
Back in Paris in 1, he established the Odontological School as the first European school of Orthodontics where the teaching of multi-band therapeutics, especially the edgewise technique was developed.
Beginning in the sixties, he became a pure orthodontist, occupying a progressively more important place in teaching.
His continued to preach, both within university spheres and in the major European scholarly societies, seeking acknowledgement of the value of Edgewise therapeutics that he practiced exclusively in Paris after abandoning his general dentistry practice. For Europe, he is the father of modern orthodontics.
In May 1964, he chaired the SFODF congress in Paris where one of his English friends J. Halden, a "Tweedist" by training, was official recorder for the subject " Extractions in Dentofacial Orthopaedics". This was legitimate recognition of success and the result was an increasingly more rapid circulation of orthodontic ideas that went progressively further.
Following numerous stays in the United States, contacts with Doctor Steiner and with Doctor Tweed and his School, he set up an orthodontics training programme called EPGET (European Postgraduate in Edgewise Therapy).
The first session, which is still talked about, took place at Royaumont in 1966.
In 1967, using this course and the first participants as a foundation, he founded the European College of Orthodontics in Tours.
After the university reform of 1968 and the creation of the Orthodontics academic discipline, he achieved the rank of Leading Lecturer, Head of the Orthodontics Department of the Faculty of Dental Surgery in the University of Paris VII
In 1971 he became a Doctor of Dental Surgery
In 1972, he presented his doctoral thesis and became Doctor of Odontological Sciences
At the same time, he participated in establishing a teaching programme specifically for Orthodontics, staking his full conviction on creating a University Diploma in Orthodontics, later to become the CECSMO.
Roger X. O'Meyer was a builder. Through his contribution, the discipline of Dentofacial Orthopaedics became a recognised specialty of Orthodontics.
In 1975, he received the hotsell title of Doctor of Exceptional Merit, followed by his retirement from university functions.
After this time, he dedicated himself to friends and family, the CEO and the EPGET.
In 1980, he established the Edgewise journal, thus conferring the distinction of his achievements to the philosophy that he supported with such rigor and tenacity.
On 21 January 1987, he died abruptly while participating very actively in the teaching of the EPGET course.
He was a Master, and the oldest of us remember this and know what we owe to the "Boss".
He shaped and left his mark on generations of orthodontists.
The writing of this biography was made possible through the consultation of documents made available by Andrée O'Meyer, Paul Caillard, André J. Horn and Michel Vaugeois. We thank them sincerely for their contributions.
CHRISTINE BOEHM-HUREZ