Herbert V. Muchnic; Orthodontist, Scientist

Herbert V. Muchnic, 88, an orthodontist and research scientist who held state and national leadership positions in his field. Muchnic was educated at Northwestern University and USC Dental School. He maintained a practice in Beverly Hills, became mentor to many USC students and was president of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists (1962-64) and the American Assn. of Orthodontists (1975). Working with Los Angeles plastic surgeon Bernard G. Sarnat, Muchnic conducted research on facial growth, observing changes that occur when growth centers of the jaw are removed. In a study published in 1971 by the Journal of Anatomy (a British scientific journal) and the American Journal of Orthodontics, the two men reported on unsuspected parallels in facial growth patterns of children and adults. On Oct. 10 of cancer at his Los Angeles home.