Outline
The dental education system in Japan was started in the middle of the Meiji Period, and in 1964 was comprised of nine schools, all of which were unevenly concentrated to the west of the Kanto region. In addition, this education was being entrusted to two national universities in Tokyo and Osaka, six private universities, and one public university. On the other hand, since the start of the Taisho Period, in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions cries had been made for the establishment of dental education institutions locally. Since then there had been strong demands for these institutions, and finally in April 1965 a dental school was established at Tohoku University with an entering class of 40.
Later in 1967, a hospital attached to a dental department was set up taking responsibilities of dental clinical education, and the dental education system was put in place.
The hospital attached to the dental department was joined with the hospital attached to the medical department in October 2003, founding the Tohoku University Hospital. In February 2007, the dental treatment center in the university hospital (outpatient examination and treatment department) was set up to go along with the move of sickbeds to the new university hospital ward. The completion of new university hospital outpatient ward caused the removal of the integrated dental treatment center, and in January 2010, the university hospital dental examination and treatment department was re-launched.
In 1977, the adjoined dental technician school (20 students per year, study period limited to two years) was set up.
In the graduate school, the Graduate School of Dentistry Doctorate Program in Dentistry was formed in 1974. After that, in 2000 the graduate school's important point became the independence of its Graduate School of Dentistry, and it became a forerunner to other dental schools nationwide. Because of this, professors are assigned to the Graduate School of Dentistry, becoming involved consistently as both undergraduate and graduate professors.
In April 2004, the only masters program in dentistry in Japan was formed with the purpose of cultivating the necessary ability for high-level professions or the research ability of dentistry or dental science. The door was opened for dental hygienists, dental technicians, nurses of medical treatment practitioner, science, and engineering departments, nurses of food and nutrition-related departments, and professionals from health departments to do specialized teaching and research in dentistry and dental science. The International Dental Health Field was formed with the goal of training leaders in domestic and overseas communities with ample global perspective and high specialization.
Today, after about 47 years since the establishment of the Department of Dentistry, Tohoku University's Graduate School of Dentistry and Department of Dentistry keep close cooperation with the Department of Medicine and the Graduate School of Geriatrics next to them, having fulfilling growth leading Japan in dental medicine as the prominent center of dental medicine research through cutting edge teaching and research in the field of dentistry with standards of unity in specialization and academics. Tohoku University will continue in providing "dental innovation" in the future, building new dentistry and dental treatment fit for the 21st century.
History
| 1723 | Pierre Fauchard (known the father of modern dental medicine) announces “Le Chirurgien Dentist.” |
|---|---|
| 1728 | Fauchard makes full maxillary dentures. |
| 1840 | First modern dental medicine school in the world, Baltimore School of Dentistry, established in U.S. |
| 1844 | Tooth extraction conducted under general anesthesia using nitrous oxide. |
| 1846 | Oral surgery conducted using ether anesthesia in the U.S. |
| 1860 | American dentist William Clark Eastlake opens dental clinic in Yokohama. |
| 1876 | Mizuhoya imports dental equipment from U.S. to Japan. Production of dental equipment starts in Japan. |
| 1878 | Kisai Takayama goes to the U.S. to study dental medicine at his own expense, returns to Japan after passing exam to practice medicine as a dentist. |
| 1881 | Takayama publishes first dental technical book in Japan, “Hoshishinron.” |
| 1883 | Medical practice test rules established and dental medicine becomes specialized field. American dentist Willoughby D. Miller announces “Miller’ s chemico-parasitic theory.” |
| 1888 | First school of dental medicine in Japan, Tokyo College of Dental Medicine, established (closed the next year). |
| 1890 | Takayama School of Dentistry established. (In 1900, changes name to Tokyo College of Dentists; in 1946 restructured into Tokyo Dental College.) |
| 1891 | Fact that dental plaque causes tooth decay discovered in U.S. |
| 1893 | Dental Practitioners Association established (in 1926, changes name to Japan Dental Association). |
| 1902 | Japan Association for Dental Science established. |
| 1903 | School of Dentistry at School of Medicine, University of Tokyo established. |
| 1906 | Dental Practitioners Law instituted. |
| 1911 | Dental College established. |
| 1916 | Dental Practitioners Law revised to restrict doctors from practicing dentistry. |
| 1928 | Cavity Prevention Day instituted. Tokyo High School of Dental Medicine (currently Tokyo Medical and Dental University) established. Dentist training by national institutions in Japan starts. |
| 1946 | Dental Education Council begun under the General Headquarters orders. |
| 1947 | Dentist National Examination begins. |
| 1948 | Dental Education Standards Draft passed. |
| 1965 | Tohoku University School of Dentistry established, advocating the philosophies of “Training dentists who can think,“ “One mouth is a unit,” and “Holistic dentistry.” |
| 1967 | Tohoku University Dental Hospital opens. |
| 1972 | Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry established. |
| 1975 | Dental Technicians School established. |
| 1993 | Prof. Emeritus Hajime Yamamoto awarded Japan Imperial Prize for “Research into applications related to prevention of tooth decay by laser irradiation.” |
| 2000 | Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, responding to the government's educational policy of emphasizing graduate schools by educating students with inquiring minds and scientific perspective who can be leaders in dental research. |
| 2002 | Interface Oral Health Science concept proposed by Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry. |
| 2003 | Organizational integration of Tohoku University Dental Hospital and University Hospital. Tohoku University Hospital opens. |
| 2004 | Graduate School of Dentistry establishes first Master’ s course in dentistry in Japan. Graduate School of Dentistry starts conducting special education in oral science for people other than those in the medical and dental field. |
| 2005 | First International Symposium on Interface Oral Health Science held. |
| 2007 | Tohoku University Dental Hospital and Medical Center renamed, beds and operating rooms moved to new location. “Living body biomaterial high-performance interface science project” begins, sponsored by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. |
| 2008 | Implant outpatients accepted at Dental Medical Center of Tohoku University Hospital. |
| 2009 | Renovation of Lecture Building of Graduate School of Dentistry completed. |
| 2010 | Prof. Emeritus Shobu Hinuma awarded Order of Culture. Medical Dental Center outpatient clinic transferred and integrated as Dental Department of Tohoku University Hospital. |
| 2011 | Liaison Center for Innovative Dentistry established. |
| 2012 | Renovation of Clinical Research Building, Graduate School of Dentistry completed. |
| 2013 | Center for Environmental Dentistry established. Dental and Digital Forensics established. |
| 2014 | Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Research established. |
| 2015 | Center for Advanced Stem Cell and Regenerative Research established. |
| 2017 | Next generation Dental Materials Research established. Advanced Free Radical Science established. |
| 2020 | Courses restructured; Ecological Dentistry, Community Social Dentistry, Disease Management Dentistry, and Rehabilitation Dentistry established. Liaison Center for Innovative Dentistry reorganized as an affiliated educational research institute. |
| 2021 | Dental Technicians School closed. |