Professor Iosif Solomonovich Rubinov — scientist, clinician, pedagogue

BACKGROUND: The name of Iosif Solomonovich Rubinov, a prominent Russian dentist and the founder of the physiological direction in dentistry, is little known today to the dental community of Russia, neighboring countries and beyond, although the scientific legacy of Professor I.S. Rubinov is a valuable contribution to the development of medical science and all sections of dentistry.

AIM: To highlight the scientific, clinical, pedagogical, and social activities of Professor I.S. Rubinov, an outstanding dentist, Doctor of Medical Sciences.

МATERIAL AND METHODS: The material for the article was the national literature in the field of dentistry and physiology as well as information and recollections of I.S. Rubinov’s colleagues and pupils about his professional activity.

RESULTS: Professor I.S. Rubinov in the course of his research work proposed and substantiated the doctrine of functional masticatory links and reflexes of the masticatory apparatus, proposed new objective methods of evaluation in the clinic of dentistry of the state of the masticatory apparatus: the technique of chewing test (today called “by Rubinov”), methods of masticationography (method of studying the act of chewing and movement of the mandible during chewing), phagiography (method of studying the act of swallowing), electromyography and others. He developed the method of myogymnastics in diseases of temporomandibular joint, design of artificial chewing teeth with self-sharpening chewing surface. With his participation conditions were created for the introduction of the most rational constructions of supported dental prostheses into the wide clinical practice. With I.S. Rubinov’s participation, cobalt-chromium alloy was commercially available at the Leningrad factory of dental materials in 1961 and in 1964 — refractory mass silamin and duplicate mass gelin for fabrication of solidly cast dental (supported, partial dentures).

CONCLUSION: The scientific legacy of Professor I.S. Rubinov is a valuable contribution to the development of medical science and all sections of dentistry. He did especially much in the study of complex issues of physiology and pathophysiology of the chewing apparatus: the function of chewing and swallowing, as well as the neuro-reflexive coordination of organs and tissues of the chewing apparatus.