Oral Maxillofacial Surg Clin N Am 20 (2008) xiii

Dedication

William H. Bell, DDS

We respectfully dedicate this edition of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics to Dr. William H. Bell, who, in dierent ways and at dierent points in our careers, served as a continual source of inspiration. In the late 1960s, Dr. Bell contributed to the transformation of our American specialty from that of oral surgery to one of oral and maxillofacial surgery through his landmark research on the biologic basis for the Le Fort I osteotomy. His subsequent textbooks provided a detailed description of the surgical correction of dentofacial deformities and served as a reference for thousands of surgeons in multiple disciplines across the globe. It is a testament to his meticulous attention to detail and passionate pursuit of excellence that in many ways these

books remain contemporary 40 years after their publication. He has devoted his life to improving the human condition through patient care and to the advancement of surgery through research and education. Now in his sixth decade as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, at a time when our specialty is again evolving, he continues to expand our collective horizons through his teaching and international outreach. It is our hope that the re that burns in him will ignite the spirits of generations of surgeons to come for the betterment of patients whom it is our privilege to serve. Eric J. Dierks, DMD, MD, FACS R. Bryan Bell, DDS, MD, FACS

1042-3699/08/$ - see front matter 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.coms.2008.04.005

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