Merger of Edinburgh Dental School with Faculty of Medicine, 1948
In 1948, the Edinburgh Dental School became part of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Edinburgh. Henceforth graduating students were awarded the university degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
The Edinburgh Dental School was founded, largely through the efforts of Dr John Smith (1825-1910), as the Edinburgh Dental Dispensary in 1860. It changed its name to the Edinburgh Dental Hospital and School in 1880 and, having occupied various premises, established its base in Chambers Street in 1894. For both teaching and examining purposes, it maintained a close link with the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
In 1948, the creation of the National Health Service saw the Dental Hospital become part of the Royal Infirmary Group while the Dental School was incorporated into Edinburgh University as part of the Faculty of Medicine. School and Hospital were rebuilt and modernised between 1952 and 1956, and the official reopening was carried out by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Other University Events in 1948
Sources
- Surgeons' Hall Museums, 'A Short History of Dentistry in Edinburgh' [[1], accessed 25 August 2014]
- Philip Sutcliffe, 'The Edinburgh Dental School and Hospital', University of Edinburgh Journal, 34 (1989-90), 169-72.