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Dental education in Norway
514 • T H E J O U R N A L O F THE A M E R IC A N D E N T A L A S S O C IA T IO N
semesters. These would be preceded by two semesters (or better put, one year), during which time the student would be given intensive training in dental technic. For various reasons this plan was dropped; however, the new regulations will provide that each student spend more time on dental technic during the first year. In addition the basic medical education will be improved. During the deliberations over this new law, it was requested by a minority that the future dentist should complete the general medical course first, and that he should then add to this the specialized dental education. This plan, which would be similar to the stomatology courses given in Austria and Italy, received insufficient backing, since the majority of the pro fession believes that the field o f dentistry is so extensive and hence demands such
knowledge and ability that it is impossible to learn it in a special course similar to the separate special courses given physi cians. A short time ago the medical course was lengthened to 12 semesters in Germany; however, the physician does not receive government recognition or permission to work by himself until after a two year tour of duty as an intern. It is evident from this description that conditions in Germany are in a state of flux; however, the course which dentistry will take in Germany is distinctly marked off. The dental profession in Germany feels itself strong enough, and it has the necessary drive, to secure its position on the basis of rights already won. It will progress in order to be able to comply with the various demands which the peo ple and the state legitimately make on it. Universitatsstrasse 73
Dental education in Norway Knut Gard, Oslo, Norway
Norway has an area of 126,000 square miles and its present population is around 3,400,000. There are 1,900 dentists in actual practice in Norway today. In spite of the fact that the number of dentists is large in proportion to the population, there is a shortage because, among other things, of the geographical distribution of the people. The country is mountainous, large and thinly popu lated, and the numerous fiords cut deeply into the mainland. These difficult con ditions have had considerable influence on dental health education. School dental treatment of children
from 7 to 14 years of age was introduced in 1910 in the largest cities of Norway at public expense. Today, approximately 85 per cent of all school children receive free dental treatment as well as a certain percentage of small children from 3 to 7 years of age. In addition, young people in the age group of 14 to 18 years also receive free or nearly free dental treat ment. Therefore, about 500 dentists are fully or partially engaged in public den tal service. Naturally, this situation has influenced the teaching of dental stu dents. At present there is one dental school
GARD
in Norway, the Royal Dental College in Oslo. Fifty dentists are graduated an nually, but this number is insufficient today because of the conditions men tioned earlier and also because (1) the caries incidence is as high as in most countries with a relatively high standard of living, and (2) the school dental treatment and the dental health propa ganda, coupled with a good economy, have created a steadily increasing de mand for dental care among the adult population. Consequently, since World War II, plans have been made to build another dental school in the second uni versity city, Bergen. While this work has been going on, dentists have been educated in suitable schools abroad, and through the friendly assistance of the professional authorities in the countries concerned, a large num ber of students have been placed, espe cially in the United States, Sweden, Den mark, the United Kingdom and Ger many. These students are selected by the Royal Dental College. The method of sending students abroad, however, is a makeshift solution and is not satisfactory. Everybody agrees that as soon as possible sufficient dentists must be trained at home. Work on the new school in Ber gen will start this year, and it is hoped that the building will be ready for use in 1959 at the latest. The Oslo school was built in 1927, and the present inten tion is to build a new and better school there which will accommodate 70 to 80 students, thus making it possible to grad uate 110 to 120 dentists annually in our own country. The requirement for admission to the Royal College in Oslo is the final school examination, which is passed at the age of 19 to 20. The curriculum at present covers four years, each school year con sisting of two semesters— August 20 to December 15 and January 10 to June 24. The curriculum is now divided into eight
. V O L U M E 50, M A Y 1955 • 515
departments with a professor as head of each department: anatomy, pedodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, restorative dentistry, physiology, periodontics and full denture prosthetics. There are four assistant professors who give the courses in restorative dentistry, crown and bridge work, elementary prosthetics, and roent genology. Special lecturers give courses in bacteriology, pharmacology, chemistry, pathology and forensic odontology. The following subjects are taught: general anatomy, dental anatomy, physi ology, nutrition, chemistry, theoretical and practical physics, pharmacology, pathology, bacteriology, forensic odon tology, restorative dentistry, prosthetics, periodontics, oral surgery and ortho dontics. Although the total dental course now takes four years, plans are being made to extend it to five years. At the Univer sity in Bergen, the intention is to arrange postgraduate courses which will be taken immediately after the regular four years’ course. It is characteristic of dental education in Norway that, because of the conditions mentioned earlier, pedodontics and orthodontics are given an important place in the curriculum. Furthermore, it is characteristic that the Royal Dental C ol lege is an independent institution and not a part of a university. This necessitates special departments of anatomy and physiology with their own professors and special lecturers. The new dental school in Bergen has been planned as a branch of the Univer sity, and consequently there will be medical and dental men on the regular faculty. It will be interesting in the future to see the development of teaching in this country at the two schools, one continuing as the independent Royal college, the other being part of the Bergen University. Incognito 17
semesters. These would be preceded by two semesters (or better put, one year), during which time the student would be given intensive training in dental technic. For various reasons this plan was dropped; however, the new regulations will provide that each student spend more time on dental technic during the first year. In addition the basic medical education will be improved. During the deliberations over this new law, it was requested by a minority that the future dentist should complete the general medical course first, and that he should then add to this the specialized dental education. This plan, which would be similar to the stomatology courses given in Austria and Italy, received insufficient backing, since the majority of the pro fession believes that the field o f dentistry is so extensive and hence demands such
knowledge and ability that it is impossible to learn it in a special course similar to the separate special courses given physi cians. A short time ago the medical course was lengthened to 12 semesters in Germany; however, the physician does not receive government recognition or permission to work by himself until after a two year tour of duty as an intern. It is evident from this description that conditions in Germany are in a state of flux; however, the course which dentistry will take in Germany is distinctly marked off. The dental profession in Germany feels itself strong enough, and it has the necessary drive, to secure its position on the basis of rights already won. It will progress in order to be able to comply with the various demands which the peo ple and the state legitimately make on it. Universitatsstrasse 73
Dental education in Norway Knut Gard, Oslo, Norway
Norway has an area of 126,000 square miles and its present population is around 3,400,000. There are 1,900 dentists in actual practice in Norway today. In spite of the fact that the number of dentists is large in proportion to the population, there is a shortage because, among other things, of the geographical distribution of the people. The country is mountainous, large and thinly popu lated, and the numerous fiords cut deeply into the mainland. These difficult con ditions have had considerable influence on dental health education. School dental treatment of children
from 7 to 14 years of age was introduced in 1910 in the largest cities of Norway at public expense. Today, approximately 85 per cent of all school children receive free dental treatment as well as a certain percentage of small children from 3 to 7 years of age. In addition, young people in the age group of 14 to 18 years also receive free or nearly free dental treat ment. Therefore, about 500 dentists are fully or partially engaged in public den tal service. Naturally, this situation has influenced the teaching of dental stu dents. At present there is one dental school
GARD
in Norway, the Royal Dental College in Oslo. Fifty dentists are graduated an nually, but this number is insufficient today because of the conditions men tioned earlier and also because (1) the caries incidence is as high as in most countries with a relatively high standard of living, and (2) the school dental treatment and the dental health propa ganda, coupled with a good economy, have created a steadily increasing de mand for dental care among the adult population. Consequently, since World War II, plans have been made to build another dental school in the second uni versity city, Bergen. While this work has been going on, dentists have been educated in suitable schools abroad, and through the friendly assistance of the professional authorities in the countries concerned, a large num ber of students have been placed, espe cially in the United States, Sweden, Den mark, the United Kingdom and Ger many. These students are selected by the Royal Dental College. The method of sending students abroad, however, is a makeshift solution and is not satisfactory. Everybody agrees that as soon as possible sufficient dentists must be trained at home. Work on the new school in Ber gen will start this year, and it is hoped that the building will be ready for use in 1959 at the latest. The Oslo school was built in 1927, and the present inten tion is to build a new and better school there which will accommodate 70 to 80 students, thus making it possible to grad uate 110 to 120 dentists annually in our own country. The requirement for admission to the Royal College in Oslo is the final school examination, which is passed at the age of 19 to 20. The curriculum at present covers four years, each school year con sisting of two semesters— August 20 to December 15 and January 10 to June 24. The curriculum is now divided into eight
. V O L U M E 50, M A Y 1955 • 515
departments with a professor as head of each department: anatomy, pedodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, restorative dentistry, physiology, periodontics and full denture prosthetics. There are four assistant professors who give the courses in restorative dentistry, crown and bridge work, elementary prosthetics, and roent genology. Special lecturers give courses in bacteriology, pharmacology, chemistry, pathology and forensic odontology. The following subjects are taught: general anatomy, dental anatomy, physi ology, nutrition, chemistry, theoretical and practical physics, pharmacology, pathology, bacteriology, forensic odon tology, restorative dentistry, prosthetics, periodontics, oral surgery and ortho dontics. Although the total dental course now takes four years, plans are being made to extend it to five years. At the Univer sity in Bergen, the intention is to arrange postgraduate courses which will be taken immediately after the regular four years’ course. It is characteristic of dental education in Norway that, because of the conditions mentioned earlier, pedodontics and orthodontics are given an important place in the curriculum. Furthermore, it is characteristic that the Royal Dental C ol lege is an independent institution and not a part of a university. This necessitates special departments of anatomy and physiology with their own professors and special lecturers. The new dental school in Bergen has been planned as a branch of the Univer sity, and consequently there will be medical and dental men on the regular faculty. It will be interesting in the future to see the development of teaching in this country at the two schools, one continuing as the independent Royal college, the other being part of the Bergen University. Incognito 17