Review article
The Development of Dental Medicine in Croatia
Zvonimir Kaić
Abstract
The roots of modern dental medicine, as a scientific medical branch, go back to 1728, when Pierre Fauchard published his paper entitled “Le chirurgien dentists où traité des dents”. Diseases of the oral cavity, particularly diseases of the teeth, have plagued man from his very beginning, as have attempts to treat diseases of the mouth and teeth.
Dental medicine in Croatia developed in a similar way to other European countries, and in accordance with the social and material conditions in the country. As early as the 13th century coastal towns had services with permanent physicians physics, surgeons, pharmacists and barbers (lower surgeons). In 1777 Dubrovnik was first to establish a dental-medical service as a separate branch of general health protection.
Dental medicine developed later in the interior of Croatia. For example, in Zagreb at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century one could come across people engaged exclusively in dentistry, and in the 19th century a town dentist was appointed. At that time foreigners carried out the work of educated dentists, and it was individual, independent and based on profit.
With effect from the 1920s the public service of dental medicine rapidly developed (school, town and national polyclinics). In large centres (Osijek, Split, Rijeka and Zagreb) polyclinics were founded, and in Zagreb, in 1931, a Dental Clinic. In 1959, it was possible to specialise in two branches of dental medicine in Croatia. Today dentists can specialise in eight branches. The need for permanent training should be stressed, which is included in the Law on Health.
The prevalence of diseases of the mouth, oral cavity, teeth and jaws in Croatia is high. At the beginning of 1979 International Classification of Disease in Dental Medicine (ICDD) was introduced in Croatia for a determined number of diseases (dental caries, periodontopathy, orthodontic anomalies, malignant tumours of the mouth, cleft palate ...)
Education in dental medicine commenced in 1922 with the establishment of the Department of Dental Medicine and Dentistry at the Medical School in Zagreb, with the first teacher, Eduard Radoπević. Although founded in 1931 the Dental Clinic actually opened in 1939 in a newly erected building at Široki brijeg, Šalata, with Ivo Čupar as Head. He was Head of the Dental Clinic for thirty years. In 1945 the Higher Dental School was founded in Split and in 1947 a similar school in Zagreb. In 1948 the Odontological Section was established at the School of Medicine in Zagreb, which later became the independent School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb in 1962. The first Dean of the School was Živko Bolf. In 1973 the study of dental medicine was established within the framework of the Medical Faculty in Rijeka. Scientific-research in dental medicine has continued for more than 100 years. Initially by individuals, today the increased number of investigators has created a critical mass for the establishment of a Centre for Interdisciplinary Activity in Dental Medicine.
The written word has been present for decades in journals (Folia stomatologica, which sadly ceased to be published in 1950, Acta Stomatologica Croatia, with effect from 1966 and the Croatian Dental Herald since1993) and in numerous scripts, manuals, textbooks and more recently the Internet pages.
The social organisation of the profession started in 1903 with the founding of the Society of Croatian Dentists. Today we have the Croatian Dental Society and several specialist societies within the framework of the Croatian Medical Association, and with effect from 1995 the Croatian Dental Chamber. Following the founding of the independent School of Dental Medicine in Zagreb in 1962 the structure of highly educated staff in dental medicine improved in Croatia, and during the 1960s and 1970s there was a significant “export” of dentists to European countries (e.g. Federal Republic of Germany, Switzerland).
Today, unfortunately, we still cannot claim a significant reduction in dental caries and its consequences in the population of Croatia.
Keywords
dentistry; dental medicine; Croatia; history
Hrčak ID:
2936
URI
Publication date:
15.3.2002.
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