"The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) is the world's first dental college.

"Since its establishment as the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in 1840, UMSOD has successfully upheld the aspirations of its founders, Drs. Horace H. Hayden and Chapin A. Harris. The school of dentistry is an exciting place to be, a place with a unique history and tradition that honors our profession, yet eagerly embraces the future," the official website says.

"UMSOD offers exceptional educational programs for prospective members of the oral health professions. We were the first school in the world to offer a science-based curriculum in dentistry and are committed to maintaining its position as a leader in oral health education. UMSOD’s student body is one of the most diverse in the nation, and there are more than 8,000 living alumni throughout the world.

"Through research innovation, creativity, and productive partnerships, our faculty members and students are developing novel approaches to health problems from chronic pain to infectious disease. Our top researchers are at the cusp of reaching breakthrough discoveries toward fighting public health threats such as sepsis, staph infections, and chlamydia. In addition, our faculty have won some of the highest research award honors from organizations such as the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)."

"The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery became the world's first dental school when it opened in Baltimore, MD in 1840," the American Dental Association says.



"It was the first school established to teach courses exclusively in dentistry for the purpose of granting degrees in the profession."

"Formal education to prepare students for the practice of dentistry originated in 1840 when the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was chartered by the General Assembly of Maryland. This represented the culmination of the efforts of Dr. Horace H. Hayden and Dr. Chapin A. Harris, two dental practitioners who recognized the need for systematic formal education as the foundation for a scientific dental profession. Together they played a major role in establishing and promoting formal dental education, and in the development of dentistry as a profession," the official website says.

"BCDS served as a prototype for dental schools gradually established in other American cities and originated the pattern of modern dental education, with equal emphasis on sound knowledge of general medicine and development of the skills of dentistry. Through the prominent role of its faculty and graduates and their contributions to dental and medical progress, BCDS has exerted a remarkable influence on professional dentistry.

"The present dental school evolved through a series of consolidations involving the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, founded in 1840; Maryland Dental College, founded in 1873; the Dental Department of the University of Maryland, founded in1882; and the Dental Department of the Baltimore Medical College, founded in 1895. The final consolidation took place in 1923, when BCDS and the Dental Department of the University of Maryland were combined to create a distinct college of the university under state supervision and control."

"In ancient Greece, Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about dentistry, specifically about treating decaying teeth, but it wasn’t until 1530 that the first book entirely devoted to dentistry—The Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth—was published," the American Dental Education Association says.

"By the 1700s, dentistry had become a more defined profession. In 1723, Pierre Fauchard, a French surgeon credited as the Father of Modern Dentistry, published his influential book, The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth, which for the first time defined a comprehensive system for caring for and treating teeth. Additionally, Fauchard first introduced the idea of dental fillings and the use of dental prosthesis, and he identified that acids from sugar led to tooth decay.

"In 1840, the first dental college (Baltimore College of Dental Surgery) opened, establishing the need for more oversight. In the United States, Alabama led the way by enacting the first dental practice act in 1841, and nearly 20 years later, the American Dental Association (ADA) was formed. The first university-affiliated dental institution, the Harvard University Dental School, was founded in 1867. By 1873, Colgate had mass produced the first toothpaste, and mass-produced toothbrushes followed a few years later."

"Dentistry was first practiced in the United States during the colonial era. At that time, a few physicians and surgeons practiced dentistry, along with numerous barber dentists and many charlatans," the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center says.



"Until 1840, dental practitioners’ degrees of competence varied greatly. Practitioners were generally untrained, self-educated, or recipients of apprenticeship training from an established practitioner.

"Founded in 1840, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery received its charter by an act of the Maryland General Assembly. It matriculated its first two students in 1841. With the founding of the college, dentistry became a profession separate from medicine. Dentistry could have become a medical specialty if the Maryland legislature had approved a request to incorporate it as a department at the University of Maryland’s medical school, but the request was rejected owing to cost. Dentistry then set its own course."

"The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (abbreviated UMSOD), is the dental school of the University System of Maryland. It was founded as an independent institution, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, in 1840 and was the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree. It is known as the first dental college in the world. It is headquartered at the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. It is the only dental school in Maryland," the Wikipedia says.

"The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (BCDS) was chartered by an act of the General Assembly of Maryland (state legislature) in 1840. Its co-founders, Doctors Horace H. Hayden and Chapin A. Harris have been both inducted in the Pierre Fauchard Academy Hall of Fame. Dr. Harris was the school's first dean and a professor of practical dentistry. Following the death of Dr. Hayden on January 25, 1844, he became the school's second president. The College is still in existence today and is part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore as one of its five professional graduate level schools.

"The establishment of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery is seen as one of the three crucial steps in the foundation of the dental profession in the United States and the world. A true profession is built upon a tripod: a formal organization, formal professional education, and a formal scientific literature. The United States was the leader in all three. In 1839-1840, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was organized, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was established, and the first dental journal in the world, the American Journal of Dental Science, was founded. At that time there were only about three hundred trained and scientific dentists in the entire country; the rest were relatively untrained operators, outright quacks, or charlatans. In 1898, a list of the first subscribers to the first journal was discovered and published by G.V. Black. These initial subscribers may be considered the core group of truly professional American dentists. They became the leaders of the newly born profession of dentistry."

"Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition (the development and arrangement of teeth) as well as the oral mucosa.[2] Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.

"John M. Harris started the world's first dental school in Bainbridge, Ohio, and helped to establish dentistry as a health profession. It opened on 21 February 1828, and today is a dental museum. The first dental college, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, opened in Baltimore, Maryland, US in 1840. The second in the United States was the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, established in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1845. The Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery followed in 1852. In 1907, Temple University accepted a bid to incorporate the school.

"All dentists in the United States undergo at least three years of undergraduate studies, but nearly all complete a bachelor's degree. This schooling is followed by four years of dental school to qualify as a "Doctor of Dental Surgery" (DDS) or "Doctor of Dental Medicine" (DMD). Specialization in dentistry is available in the fields of Anesthesiology, Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, Pathology, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry (Pedodontics), Periodontics, and Prosthodontics."  (Wikipedia)

"The title of America’s first dental school goes to the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. It was established in 1840. This was more than just a way to educate future dentists. It was also the beginning of the trend of more dental oversight. Before this, there was minimal oversight, so the quality of dentists varied greatly," the American Dental says.

"The creation of the dental school came thanks to efforts by Dr. Chapin A. Harris and Dr. Horace H. Hayden. They wanted dentistry to become a scientific profession. The pair recognized that systematic formal education was necessary for this. The General Assembly of Maryland was the organization to charter the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery.

"The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was not just the country’s first dental school. It also became an example of how to set up dental education. This is the same pattern that dental education dentists follow today. That includes equally focusing on general medical knowledge and dentistry skills."

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