By Gary M. DeWood, DDS, MS

In the modern dental office, we are surrounded by high-tech digital scanners, 3D imaging, and sleek monitors. But if you look back at the 1934 office of Dr. L.D. Pankey, the most “productive” thing in his operatory, according to Dr. Pankey, wasn’t a piece of machinery—it was a simple set of three shelves that he called the Corner Library.

In a February 6, 1985, CIV “Philosophy” lecture, Dr. L.D. Pankey reflected on why this humble library was the backbone of his world-renowned philosophy. Here is how he used it to transform the dentist-patient relationship.

More Than Books: A Tool for “Ethos”

Dr. L.D. Pankey believed that for a patient to accept a treatment plan, there had to be a “meeting of the minds.” He used the Greek concept of Ethos (the character of the speaker). To him, the library provided documented evidence that built that character.

“When we come to communicate with the patient… the highway is the highway of the mind. We do have to speak to the patient, but we also should have a documented case explanation so that they can see,” he said.

The Three Shelves of the Corner Library

Dr. L. D. Pankey didn’t just stack books randomly; the library was a carefully curated experience designed to move a patient from curiosity to commitment.

1. The Shelf of Spirit: The Blue Vase

On the top shelf sat a blue Wedgwood vase, usually holding a single fresh flower. This was a nod to the story of The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne. The message of the story, which he often told, is that the impossible just takes a little longer. The purpose of the blue vase was to set the tone that his office was dedicated to excellence and going the extra mile for the patient’s oral health.

2. The Shelf of Logic: The “Shore Book”

The middle shelf held the heavy hitters of dental science at the time, most notably Nathan Allen Shore’s Occlusal Equilibration and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction. Dr. Pankey would pull this book out to show patients the difference between “physiological” and “pathological” occlusion. By showing a patient a published diagram of bone loss or jaw dysfunction, it shifted the conversation from “the dentist’s opinion” to “scientific fact.”

3. The Shelf of Motivation: Aesthetics & Literature

The bottom shelf was often larger to accommodate oversized books on aesthetic dentures or monographs on communication by authors like Mortimer Adler.

His “Parlor Trick”

Dr. Pankey humorously noted that he would often hand a woman her purse when reaching for these books, saying, “How about putting your glasses on? I want to go over something with you.” This ensured the patient was fully engaged and actually seeing the possibilities for their smile.

His 1985 Admonishment

Dr. Pankey scolded students who had the knowledge (the books) but kept them at home instead of where the patient could see them: “How stupid can you be? Seven times you heard the philosophy, and you’re not even using Shore’s book… If you know how to use this one page and it doesn’t pay within a year or two for everything you spent to come to the Institute, you missed the boat.”

The Takeaway

While the Corner Library may not literally fit in the operatory of today, what it teaches us is that patient education is not a lecture; it’s a shared discovery. Whether you use a physical bookshelf or a digital equivalent, the goal remains the same: to move the patient through Ethos (trust), Pathos (empathy), and Logos (logic). This is an integral part of the training in the Pankey Institute’s Essentials Series and is the basis for the workshop Mastering Case Acceptance.

Dr. Pankey famously said: “He who profits most is he who serves best.” And you cannot serve “best” a patient who does not understand and is therefore unable to claim for themselves the value of the service you are providing.