Dr. Charles J. Burstone DDS

1928 - 2015

Dr. Charles J. Burstone, 86, of Bloomfield, formerly of Farmington, suddenly passed away from cardiac arrest on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 in Seoul, Korea. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri on April 4, 1928 to Dr. Lester and Rose Burstone. Dr. Burstone belonged to a dental family; his father was a dentist and his brother, Marvin, was a graduate of the Washington School of Dentistry. Dr. Burstone also graduated from the Washington School of Dentistry in 1950 at the young age of 22. After practicing General Dentistry with his father, he joined the U.S. Air Force, eventually becoming a Captain in the Dental Corps. He served in Korea during the Korean war and when he returned, he studied the specialty of Orthodontics, receiving a Certificate and Masters Degree in Orthodontics from Indiana University in 1953. Following his specialty training, he accepted a position at Indiana University in the Department of Orthodontics. He became the Acting Chairman in the Department of Orthodontics in 1956 and Chairman in 1961. From 1966 to 1970, he was Professor and Head of Department of Orthodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry. He developed a department that became internationally known for its research, particularly in Biomechanics and for the quality of its graduates, who went on to become outstanding clinicians and teachers throughout the world. In 1970, he was selected to head and create a new Orthodontic Department at the newly-built Dental School at the University of Connecticut. He served as Professor and Head of the Orthodontic Department and Chief of the Orthodontic Services at John Dempsey Hospital from 1970 to 1992. In 1994, he was appointed Professor Emeritus in the Department of Orthodontics at the School of Dental Medicine at the UCONN Health Center. After retirement, he spent years donating much of his time and energy to the Orthodontic Department at UCONN. Dr. Burstone has been a brilliant leader in the field of Orthodontics, conducting significant research in the field of clinical orthodontics. He is well-known for the development of the field of orthodontic biomechanics. He is the co-developer of many new orthodontic wires; he has numerous patents related to Orthodontics, Biomechanics and Material Sciences. His work has also been recognized by the Federal Government. In addition to his research in Physics and Engineering, he is also well-known for his Soft-tissue Analysis of the face and his pioneering efforts in Facial Esthetics. He has published many books and book chapters and over 150 articles in Refereed journals. Dr. Burstone was a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Sigma Xi Fraternities. He was awarded the American Association of Orthodontists First Research Award in 1956, the Tokyo Medical-Dental School Award in 1983, the Connecticut Society of Orthodontics Strang Award in 1983, the Canadian Dental Association Grieve Memorial Award in 1987, the John Valentine Mershon Memorial Lecture Award in 1987, and the Jarabak Award from the University of Michigan in 1991, to name a few. Based on his contributions, he was awarded an honorary Ph.D degree from The Royal Dental College, Aarhus, Denmark in 1989. He was an honorary member in many Societies in the United States and Abroad. He received the most prestigious American Association of Orthodontics Ketcham award in 1999. He was inducted into the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1994. The Association of University Technology Managers listed his research developments in Fiber Reinforced Composites as one of the 25 most important innovations that changed the world. Dr. Burstone was the President of the Great Lake Society of Orthodontists in 1969. He was appointed to the Dental Study Section of the US Public Health Service from 1965 to 1969. He was a Director of the American Board of Orthodontics from 1979 to 1986 and was its President in 1986. He has trained over 200 Orthodontists at Indiana University and the University of Connecticut. He has lectured widely in the United States and on almost every continent internationally. He was one of the first orthodontists to help educate Chinese dentists in Orthodontics when China was opened up after the death of Mao. He had many interests besides orthodontics and research. He enjoyed art, music (especially the Wagnarian Operas) and photography. His photographs and movies during the Korean War depicted everyday life in times of conflict. The National Folk Museum in Seoul, Korea developed a exhibit around his images entitled "Korea, 1952" and was incorporated into a documentary that was shown on national TV in Korea. From the museum's point of view, there was very little material available at that time showing people doing peaceful things and carrying on with their lives during this period of conflict. He was devoted to Korea and it is indeed fitting that his last lecture was delivered in Seoul. He was predeceased by his parents, brother Marvin and sister-in-law Beatrice. A Memorial Service will be held at 8:00AM in Keller Auditorium at the UCONN Health Center on Friday, Feb. 27th. Burial will be at a later date in St. Louis, MO with Valhalla Cemetery in charge of the arrangements. He truly loved his profession and was a beloved mentor and colleague to many. He leaves to mourn his passing the worldwide orthodontic community.