The history of dental technology instruction and its leading scholars at the Budapest university

The preconditions for university level education on odontotechnology was first set in 1900 with the establishment of the first Odontotechnological Laboratory in the Dental Institute of the Medical Faculty. The first head of the laboratory and the lecturer of the subject was Dr. Lajos Hattyassy who obtained a senior lecturer (private docent) position in the faculty. Both the technical and personal preconditions substantially improved with the opening of the new clinic of Stomatology in 1909. The dental residents could provide comprehensive prothodontic treatment in the dental lab with its 18 working place and also in the auxiliary practical units. They were supervised by dental specialist and assisted by laboratory technicians. The senior lecturer of the subject was Dr. Henrik Salamon the internationally well know dental researcher. During the mid 20's Dr. Denes Mathe succeeded him, who also became the director of the whole dental clinic. It was him, who introduced the systematic curriculum in odontotechnology. After World War II according to the requirements of the new health insurance system the independent dental training program started in 1952 besides the traditional stomatologist training. The old dental laboratory could not meet the requirements imposed by the large number of dental students. The new teaching laboratory was organized by Dr. Imre Foldvari. This new teaching laboratory made room for the teaching of dental materials and metallurgy, odontotechnology and the phantom head training on operative dentistry and prosthodontics. The technical level of the lab was continuously improved. Dr. Imre Foldvari was succeeded by Dr. Gyorgy Huszar. The previously independent dental subject were first merged and later incorporated into the subject of prosthodontics. In the practical training several modern devices, mimicries and articulators were used. Lately Dr. Gyorgy Gotz succeeded Dr. Huszar, and the subjects of dental materials, odontotechnology and phantom head prosthodontics became again independent dental subjects. With the total refurbishment of the teaching laboratory it became one of the most up to date dental teaching laboratories of Europe. The structure and the curriculum of these newly established dental subjects have also changed and upgraded. The international connections has recently improved and many dental students came from all over the world to study dentistry. Recently for a very short period of time Dr. Pal Toth jr. was the head of this teaching unit of the Dental Faculty.