Title Page & Abstract
An Interview with J. David Cross
Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project
Interview # T20-A-L-2021-046
Dr. J. David Cross, a periodontist with a private practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, was interviewed on the date listed below as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project.
Interview dates & location:
Date: October 15, 2021 Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Springfield, Illinois
Interview Format: Digital audio
Interviewer: Mark R. DePue, Director of Oral History, ALPL
Total Time: 1:41 / 1.68 hrs.
Accessioned into the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Archives on December 29, 2021.
The interview is archived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
© 2021 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Abstract
David Cross, Tumultuous 2020, T20-A-L-2021-047
Biographical Information/Overview of Interview: Dr. J. David Cross was born in October 1961 in Springfield, Illinois and grew up there, graduating from Springfield High School in 1979. His father was a dentist, and David followed in his father’s profession, graduating from DePauw University in 1983, and Loyola University School of Dentistry, located in Maywood, Illinois, in 1987. After practicing dentistry at his father’s Springfield office, he began training to be a periodontist, once again at Loyola. He then opened his own practice in Springfield in 1990, where he continued to serve the community at the time of this interview. In 2000 he met Dennis Shanelec, considered to be the father of periodontal micro-surgery, at a convention, and began his training in that specialty. In circa 2011 he traveled to Budapest, Hungary for the first time to meet with Istvan Urban, who was making important advancements in bone regeneration. The bulk of Dr. Cross’s practice is in microsurgery.
Dr. Cross had a thriving periodontal practice at the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, closing his practice entirely following Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s shut-down order in mid-March. He did not open up again until May 7, almost two months later. During that time, he kept his staff on the payroll, applied for and received Paycheck Protection Program payments from the federal government, and made significant equipment upgrades in his building. During the lock-down, he dealt with three dental emergencies. Although his staff were still receiving pay, Dr. Cross was not, even as he was making expensive equipment upgrades, and still paying rent, utilities, medical malpractice insurance and other business-related expenses. Equipment upgrades included an air filtration system, IQ-Air, which he purchased from Switzerland, and an ultra-violet light system to further purify the air. He also had to have an upgrade in the office duct system. Once the practice reopened, they established strict new protocols to ensure staff and patients kept safe social distances. At the time of the interview, the practice was nearing pre-pandemic levels.
Subject Headings/Key Words: periodontic dentistry; periodontal micro-surgery; Loyola University School of Dentistry; Dr. Dennis Shanelec; Dr. Istvan Urban; upgrades due to HIV virus; IQ-Air filtration system; UV light sanitation; bone regeneration
Notes to the Reader: Readers of the oral history memoir should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word, and that the interviewer, interviewee and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views expressed therein. We leave these for the reader to judge.
COPYRIGHT
The following material can be used for educational and other non-commercial purposes without the written permission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. “Fair use” criteria of Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 must be followed. These materials are not to be deposited in other repositories, nor used for resale or commercial purposes without the authorization from the Audio-Visual Curator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 112 N. 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701. Telephone (217) 785-7955