• Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University

History of the Faculty


The setting up an educational curriculum in dentistry had begun in 1928 by Dr. Wad Yaemprayun (Professor Colonel Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana). He intended to provide Dental education to be taught at the university level in Thailand. After finishing his studies, he received his medical degree from Syracuse University. USA. Support came soon after, in 1925, for studies in the field of dentistry. By that time, a Thai student named Mr. See Sirisingha (Professsor Lieutenant Colonel See Sirisingha) received a scholarship from His Royal Highness, Prince Mahidol of Songkla, to study in the field of dentistry in U.S.A. Both these scholarship recipients played important roles in the founding foe the Faculty of Dentistry in Thailand. 

 

In 1936, while Professor Colonel Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana was Commander of the Army Medical Corps, Army Region I, approaches were made to Professor Aller Gustin Ellis, President of Chulalongkorn University, about setting up a faculty of dentistry. These initiatives were unsuccessful, Professor Colonel Luang Vach later proposed to the Minister of Defense, Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram a project to open a school of dentistry which could provide services for military personnel.

At that time permission was granted to the Army Medical Corps to undertake the proposed project. Professor Colonel Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana traveled on assignment to England, France, Germany, the USA and Japan to learn more about what would be needed to set up a school of dentistry. By the time he returned from these study tours, Field Marshal Pibulsongkram had become President of Chulalongkorn University. As a result, the project for the army was shelved in favor of developing a school of dentistry within the university.

In 1940, an independent dentistry section was set up. It began functioning on 16 May, which is regarded as Founder’s Day for what was to become the university’s Faculty of Dentistry. Professor Colonel Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana was appointed first head of the new section.

The School of Dentistry at Chulalongkorn University was the first of such projects in Thailand. The first class of dental students was comprised of 8 persons. At that time, the section did not have its own premises, but found temporary space to conduct classes in the Science Building of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Studies for dental students were taught by Professor Colonel  Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana, Professor Lieutenant Colonel See Sirisingha and Dr. Matin Hanf, a German dentist practicing in Thailand. There were courses in Chemistry, Physiology and Anatomy, which are basic science courses for the medical students.  Dental and medical students took courses together at Siriraj Hospital.

On the 24 of June 1941, the Dental section officially opened its own Dental Building in Soi Chulalongkorn 11 (today this is Soi Chulalongkorn 64) on Phayathai Road. The two-storey building was 11 meters wide and 116.30 meters long and cost 149,000 ฺฺBaht. It was designed by an Italian architect, Professor Ercole Manfredi who was a special tutor at Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Architecture. When the section had their own space, dental studies were shifted from the Science Building to the new building. In the same year, a physician in private practice, i.e Rong Amato Kunsripisach (Tieb Soomsawasdi), formerly a professor in pathology at Siriraj Hospital, became a special tutor in pathology foe dental students. He continued teaching for 23 years, till his death in 1964

By 1943, the University of Medical Sciences had been instituted. The Faculty of Medicine included Dentistry, Pharmacy and Veterinary sections which had been moved from Chulalongkorn University to the University of Medical Sciences. In the same year, Professor Colonel Luang Vach Vidyavaddhana became the first Dean of the new faculty of Dentistry. In 1944, There were six dental students graduated from this Faculty. The matriculation ceremony took place in the meeting room of the Administration Building of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital.

In 1947 the faculty of Dentistry was officially divided into 12 sections: Administrative, Dental Anatomy, Histology and Dental Pathology; Pharmacology, Operative dentistry, Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Radiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, and the Department of the School of Dental Hygienist (moved from the School of Dental Hygienist of the Ministry of Public Health). In November, 1951 the classrooms. laboratories etc. of the third and fourth year dental students were moved from Building 5 on Rachadamnoen Avenue and installed in the Dental Building at Chulalongkorn Soi 11 where the first and second year dental students were studying.

On the 2 of October, 1956, the faculty opened a hospital to treat dental diseases, receiving funding from the Government Lottery Bureau For use in purchasing a large vehicle to serve as a Mobile dental Unit for the Faculty of Dentistry Hospital.

From the 8-15 of August, 1963, His Majesty,King Bhumibol Adulyadej, graciously assented to the use for fundraising purposes by the faculty of Dentistry of a film of His Majesty’s visits to Japan and to the People’s Republic of China. The proceeds from this project 1,007,801.15 Baht were presented to His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, who graciously donated these funds to the faculty of Dentistry ro construct new building. The Faculty of Dentistry then obtained a further budget allocation of 4,000,000 Baht, to be used for the construction of classrooms, laboratories, and research facilities in honor of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej who graciously bestowed the building’s name ‘Tantarak Wijai.’ His Majesty laid the cornerstone of the new building on the 29 of October, 1965. When construction of the building had been completed and the interiors furnished, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (The present King), presided at the opening ceremonies of the new Tantarak Wijai Building. On the 17 of July, 1969, with the royal permission, the royal monogram Por-Bor-Ror was installed on the building’s front façade facing Henri Dunant Road.

In 1990 when Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother, Somdej Phra Sri Nakharindra Boromarajjonnani was observing her 90th birthday, and the Faculty reached its 50th anniversary, funding came in from the public and private sectors, the alummi, and others who wished to donate to the construction of the new Faculty of Dentistry Hospital. The new institution was dedicated to Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother, Somdej Phra Nakharindra Boromarajjonnani,the ‘Mother of Thai Dentistry.’ In 1993 the Faculty of Dentistry received the gracious kindness of Her Royal Highness on her 93rd birthday, when the Princess Mother bestowed the appellation, the Somdejya 93 Building. This was a most memorable and cherished good fortune for the Faculty and For Chulalongkorn University. His Majesty the King Bhumibol graciously sent His Royal highness the Crown Prince (the present King) to preside over the ceremonies in His Majesty’s stead at the opening of the Somdejya 93 Building on the 25th of October ,1996. 

On January 31st, 1990, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided at the casting of the Phra Phuttha Chinnasri  Por-Bor-Ror. (the buddha image distributes to those whose donations contributed so much to the operations of the hospital). His Majesty the King, Bhumibol Adulyadej graciously bestowed the essential material elements symbolic of blessing and good will in the metal which was being cast into sacred images  at  Wat Bownonnivet Wiharn. On the 14thof April, 1990, the Supreme Patriarch, Somdej Phra Nyanasangvorn, presided at the ceremonies to bless the newly cast images of the Phra Phutta Cinnasri Por-Bor-Bor ,Metal Buddha images and Powder-based amulets at Wat Bowonnivet Wiharn.