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Willoughby Dayton Miller DDS, MD
Dr. Willoughby Dayton Miller was a world-class visionary in the fields of dental biology and dental treatments in the late 1800s. He was among the first to understand the impact of bacteria in dental decay and systemic health.
An undergraduate degree at U-M, Miller lived in Germany for 28 years and conducted research at the University of Berlin. In 1906, the U-M School of Dentistry offered him its deanship and Miller accepted. He visited Ann Arbor briefly in the summer of 1907 and planned to begin his new role that fall. However, while visiting relatives in Ohio, he fell ill with appendicitis and died at age 54.
1/3: Miller’s 1890 publication revolutionized dentistry. Miller discovered a key part of tooth decay is caused by bacteria, which are normally present in the mouth, reacting with carbohydrates in food residues to produce acids. These acids eat away the protective tooth enamel, exposing the softer tissue (dentine) to further destruction from the bacteria. These findings led to a massive public campaign to encourage effective oral hygiene. Virtually all subsequent work in preventing tooth decay has been based on Miller's studies.
2/3: This relief sculpture serves as a memorial to Dr. Miller was installed on the south side of the school’s Kellogg Building along North University Avenue in 1940. Photograph by Steve Jensen.
3/3: This brass compound microscope, made in the 1860s, belonged to Dr. Willoughby Miller. The body tubes were designed by W.H. Wenham in 1861 and are adjustable by means of a knurled knob that controls a rack and pinion gear set.