David Bytovetzski Scott

Dr. Scott was born in Providence RI on May 8, 1919 to Pavel and Dorothea Bytovetzski. He received an AB at Brown University in 1939, a DDS from the University of Maryland in 1943 and an MS from the University of Rochester in 1944. He received honorary ScDs from the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1979, Louis Pasteur University in France in 1981 and from Case Western Reserve University in 1999.

Dr. Scott served as a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service from 1944-1965 serving in the National Institute of Dental Research, NIH and retiring as the Chief, Laboratory of Histology and Pathology, NIDR, NIH. He continued his distinguished career as the Thomas J. Hill Distinguished Professor of Physical Biology at the School of Dentistry at Case Western Reserve University and became the Dean of the School of Dentistry at CWRU in 1969. In 1975 he retired and was appointed Dean and Professor Emeritus. In 1976, he returned to active duty with the USPHS as a Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General to be the Director of the National Institute of Dental Research at NIH until he retired in 1981.

Dr. Scott’s career had a profound impact on dental health across the world. He served as principal investigator for studies of dental structure and pathology, and as an examiner for the NIDR study of water fluoridation, which established that dental caries was reduced by over 50% after 15 years. Throughout his career, he advanced the educational and research objectives of the profession of dentistry, pioneering the use of electron microscopy to study mineralized tissues, resolving the ultrastructural pathology of enamel crystal changes during dental cavity formation, and becoming one of the nation’s few recognized authorities on dental forensics. Among the numerous awards he received throughout his career are the Arthur S. Flemming award in 1955 and the decorated Order of the Rising Sun from the government of Japan in 1983.

Dr. Scott was predeceased by his wives Mary Elizabeth Motter of York, PA and Nancy Moss Hamann of Cleveland OH, his son Steven, and his stepson William C. Hamann. He is survived by his sons David and wife Susan of Spotsylvania VA and Peter and wife Linn of Hampton VA, his stepdaughter Heidi Hamann Fortune of Midway UT and 5 grand children and two great grandchildren.

Burial will be private. Contributions in Dr. Scott’s name may be made to the School of Dentistry of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH.