IT is common knowledge that the former President of Pakistan, General Ziaul Haq’s remains were identified by his denture after he died in an air crash that resulted in an inferno, back in 1988.
The event gained instant fame, but till now only a handful of people know who the doctor is who made the denture. The doctor is from Germany by the name of Professor Reinhard Marxkors — a leading prosthodontist (specialist of dentures) of international fame.
It all started when the late Ziaul Haq developed severe periodontal problems and consulted his dentist, the then Brig Dr Atta, for the condition. Brig Atta, after examining him, decided to seek a second opinion as he felt that the president might need a new denture altogether. Therefore, he contacted an eminent German prosthodontist whom he had gotten to know when he went for scholarship in Germany. He was greatly impressed by the professor’s knowledge and skill.
The learned Professor Reinhard Marxkors was contacted and sent an invitation to visit Pakistan, examine the president and give his expert opinion.
It was to be his second visit to Pakistan. This time, however, he was on a special call to treat a VVIP. Neither the patient nor the dentist knew that that appointment would assume so much importance in their lives. The dentist was about to do the work that a few years later would prove to be an important asset of identity for the then President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is said that the telescopic denture that Professor Reinhard made on the request of Maj-Gen Dr Atta (a dentist by profession) for Ziaul Haq in the early 1980s served the purpose of identification after the latter died in the plane crash in August 1988.
He now recalls that the former president’s case was quite an advanced case of periodontitis (gums’ infection). He even had a cyst in the upper jaw. So he advised the removal of all the teeth and cyst, except one upper right canine. In the upper jaw, Prof Reinhard designed and constructed what is called in the field of dentistry a ‘telescopic denture’. It was probably the only telescopic denture to be found in any Pakistani’s mouth at that time (to the luck of the president). The lower jaw had an ordinary complete denture. Prof Reinhard wanted to again visit to make improvements in the denture sometime later, but before he could plan to accomplish that, his previous work (denture) became history.
During his first visit, Professor Reinhard also delivered some lectures at a dental practice established by Dr Atta in Rawalpindi. His recent visit was a fourth one. And this time, another renowned dentist has had the pleasure to be his host — Dr Altamash.
The professor graduated in 1956 from the University of Munster, Germany, and joined his alma mater soon after. In 1964, the Faculty of University of Munster accredited him as a teacher. Five years later, he acquired the title of professor.
Prof Marxkors was made the Director of Prosthodontics in 1971, a post he held till his retirement in 1997. In those twenty-six years, he established eight sub-sections of advanced studies, including Full Denture, Partial Denture, Forensic Dentistry, Orofacial Prosthetics, Occlusion and Bite Function, Temporomandibular Dysfunction, Psychosomatics in Dentistry and Geriatric Dentistry. He has visited around 15 countries to deliver lectures, authored to-date 15 books on prosthetics and related topics. The books are also translated into 13 languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Russian and French, to name a few.
Talking about opportunities to study dentistry in Germany, he said that they are planning an intensive course on prosthetics in the University of Munster. Why an intensive course?
“Because it is not affordable for any foreigner to stay in Germany for long. The cost of living is high, specially because job opportunities are either limited or simply not there. In his opinion, if they are able to offer such a course in the near future, it will be beneficial to all those who are eager to learn the latest in prosthetic dentistry.”
Keeping in view his experience and standing in the field, he was asked to comment upon the situation in Pakistan. What does he think about a country that is bent upon opening more and more dental colleges, while the employment opportunities have long been saturated? He said that it is not an unusual phenomenon for any developing country.
“The problem lies not in the fact that new colleges are being opened. It’s the quality of the education and the area where these colleges are being opened that is important.
“Ultimately, it all boils down to the will to make things better,” he concluded.
IT is common knowledge that the former President of Pakistan, General Ziaul Haq’s remains were identified by his denture after he died in an air crash that resulted in an inferno, back in 1988.
