PHILIPPINE DENTAL JURIS

PRUDENCE

NELSON P. ANGELES, DMD, MEM, FICCDE, FPFA

HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE DENTISTRY
DENTAL PRACTICE IN THE PHILIPPINES TODAY IS FAST BECOMING A POWERFUL FORCE IN
HELPING SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY UNDER THE NEW SOCIETY. THE DEDICATED
EFFORTS AND PERSONAL SACRIFICES OF FILIPINO PRACTITIONERS WHO WORK HARD TO
SERVE THE PUBLIC AND KEEP UP THE DIGNITY OF THE DENTAL PROFESSION ARE
GUARANTEES OF A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR EXPANDING MISSIONS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED
ORAL HEALTH CARE.
EARLY FILIPINOS, EVEN BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE SPANIARDS HAD BEEN
PRACTICING SOME CRUDE FORM OF DENTISTRY. BARBERS DOUBLED UP AS DENTAL
PRACTITIONERS. THEY USED QUEER METHODS OF TREATING TOOTHACHES. THEY USED
THEIR FINGERS AND SOMETIMES NAIL-PLIERS FOR EXTRACTING TEETH.
 Jose Arevalo

WHO IS THE FIRST FILIPINO DENTIST?

5
CAPTAIN (CHENGCHENG) AREVALO
- regarded as the first Filipino dentist
- a sculptor by occupation
- he was an expert in carving tooth
and plate on a single ivory piece
- established his dental office at
Villalobos St.
REAL DENTAL PRACTICE IN THE COUNTRY BEGAN MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

IT STARTED IN THE DISTRICT OF QUIAPO, CITY OF MANILA, IN THE TIME OF CAPITAL JOSE
AREVALO, POPULARLY KNOWN AS CAPITAN CHENG- CHENG.

HE WAS GRADUALLY REGARDED AS THE FIRST FILIPINO DENTIST. AN EXPERT IN

CARVING TOOTH AND PLATE ON A SINGLE IVORY PIECE, CAPITAN CHENG-CHENG
ESTABLISHED HIS DENTAL OFFICE IN THE SAME PLACE. HE HAD HIS WIFE FOR HIS
ASSISTANT. SHE WAS ALSO SKILLED IN GOLD CRAFTSMANSHIP.
ABOUT THE YEAR 1858, A FRENCH DENTIST FROM HONG KONG, KNOWN AS MONSIEUR
M. FERTRI, CAME TO MANILA AND SET UP A DENTAL OFFICE IN QUIAPO.

HE WAS A VERY ABLE DENTIST BUT NOT A GOOD PROSTHETIST. ON THIS ACCOUNT HE
HAD TO LOOK FOR AN ASSISTANT WHO COULD MAKE ARTIFICIAL TEETH. HE FOUND
CAPITAN CHENG-CHENG WHO NO SOONER BECAME HIS PARTNER IN THE PROFESSION.
THE JOINT PRACTICE OF THESE TWO UNASSUMING DENTISTS MARKED THE DENTISTRY
IN THE COUNTRY.
DURING THE SPANISH REGIME, PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY WAS POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE
PROFESSION OF THE “SACAMUELAS” OR TOOTH PULLERS.

SINCE IT WAS NOT A LEGALLY ESTABLISHED PROFESSION, ANY PERSONS WHO WAS CAPABLE OF
EXTRACTING TEETH, COULD PRACTICE AS A SACAMUELA WITHOUT RENDERING HIMSELF
CULPABLE OF ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY.

LATER A SPECIAL COURSE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS FOR
CIRUJANOS MINISTRANTES WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY CHANGED TO CIRUJANO DENTISTAS.

THIS CURRICULUM, ALTHOUGH A VERY CRUDE ONE, MARKED A MILESTONE OF GRE AT

SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DENTISTRY AS A PROFESSION.
WHEN THE AMERICANS OCCUPIED THE ISLANDS, THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF THE
PHILIPPINES, MAJOR GENERAL ELWELL OTIS, AUTHORIZED THE THEN PROVOST
MARSHALL GENERAL TO DETERMINE THE FITNESS OF THOSE WHO WERE ALRE ADY
PRACTICING DENTISTRY.

ACCORDINGLY, EXAMINATIONS WERE GIVEN AND LICENSES SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED. THE

REQUIREMENT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE TREND TOWARD STATE SUPERVISION
OF THE DENTAL PRACTICE OF THE COUNTRY.
THREE YEARS AFTER, WITH THE CHANGE FROM A MILITARY TO A CIVIL GOVERNMENT, THE
ISLANDS WERE PLACED UNDER A GOVERNING BODY KNOWN AS THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.

IT WAS THIS BODY, WHICH, IN 1903, PASSED THE FAMOUS ACT NO. 593, CONSIDERED TO BE
THE SECOND STEP TOWARDS THE MATURATION OF DENTISTRY IN THE PHILI PPINES INTO A
PROFESSION.

THIS ACT PROVIDED FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS AND
VESTED WITH POWERS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THOSE THE PRESENT BOARD ENJOYS.

THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD WERE:

CHAIRMAN: DR. ROBERT T. OLLIVER
SECRETARY-TREASURER: DR. WALLACE G. SKIDMORE
MEMBER: DR. ANTONIO VERGEL DE DIOS
THE EFFECTS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION BEGAN TO BE FELT AND WERE HIGH LIGHTED BY THE ARRIVAL OF FILIPINO
DENTISTS WHO EARNED THEIR DEGREES FROM AMERICAN DENTAL SCHOOLS.

SOME OF THESE FILIPINO DENTISTS WERE:

DRS. GREGORIO R. MATEO, FRANCISCO PONCE, PLACIDO FLORES AND JOAQUIN A. LADAO.

WHILE FILIPINO DENTISTS INCREASED, THE DENTAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF TH E PEOPLE ALSO INCREASED.

TO SOLVE THIS, THEY BONDED THEMSELVES TOGETHER INTO AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE SOCIEDAD DENTAL DE
FILIPINAS WITH DON BONIFACIO AREAVALO AS PRESIDENT, GREGORIO R. MATEO AS VICE-PRESIDENT, F. CALLEJA
AND JUAN VILLANUEVA AS SECRETARY AND TREASURER RESPECTIVELY.

THIS ORGANIZATION WAS INSTRUMENTAL TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DENTA L SCHOOLS AND INITIATION OF
REFORMS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROFESSION.

COLEGIO DENTAL DEL LICEO DE MANILA WAS THE FIRST DENTAL SCHOOL ESTABLISHED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF
GREGORIO R. MATEO, ANTONIO OLIVEROS, CRISPULO LAYOC AND OTHERS.

THIS WAS LATER RENAMED THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL COLLEGE CONSISTED OF THREE YEARS PROFESSIONAL COURSE
LEADING TO THE DEGREE OF D.D.S. GREGORIO AGRAMON ABLY EDITED THE ODONTOLOGIA FILIPINA, THE OFFICIAL
ORGAN OF THE SOCIETY AS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE SOCIEDAD DENTAL DEL FILIPINAS.
LATER, MORE DENTAL SCHOOLS WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE COUNTRY.

THESE SCHOOLS WERE:

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES (1915),
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY (1925)
THE MANILA COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY (1929).

THE LAST THREE UNIVERSITIES MENTIONED OFFERED A THREE-YEAR COURSE LEADING TO THE DEGREE OF
D.D.S. WHILE THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES OFFERED A FOUR -YEAR COURSE LEADING TO THE SAME
DEGREE.

LATER, IT ADOPTED THE THREE-YEAR COURSE LEADING TO D.D.S. AND OFFERED AN ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR
POST GRADUATE COURSE TO THE DEGREE OF D.D.M. ONLY HIGH SCHOOL GR ADUATES WERE ALLOWED TO
ENROLL IN THE SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY IN ALL THE UNIVERSITIES MENTIO NED. DURING THIS TIME, AMERICAN
DENTAL OFFICERS FROM THE UNITED STATES ARMY TOOK TIME OUT TO TEACH DENTISTRY IN SOME OF THESE
SCHOOLS. NOTED AMONG THESE WERE COL. GEORGE G. GRAHAM, PERIODONTOLOGY; MAJ. HARRY SMALLEY,
PROSTHESIS AND MAJ. THOMAS PAGE, OPERATIVE DENTISTRY. (1925)
DEVELOPMENT IN DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRESSED AS THE 1929 PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE PASSED
A LAW KNOWN AS ACT NO. 3538 LENGTHENING THE DENTAL COURSE FROM THREE TO FOUR YEARS
AND IN 1930 ENACTED A RECIPROCITY PROVISION FORBIDDING FOREIGN DENTISTS FROM
PRACTICING IN THE PHILIPPINES IF THEY CAME FROM COUNTRIES WHICH DID NOT GRANT SAME
PRIVILEGE TO FILIPINO DENTISTS. FOUR YEARS AFTER THIS LAW WAS PASSED, ANOTHER WAS
INTRODUCED WHICH WOULD PRACTICALLY KILL DENTISTRY AS A PROFESSION BECAUSE THE BILL
PROVIDED THAT MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS COULD ENGAGE IN DENTISTRY WITHOUT TAKING THE
DENTAL EXAMINATIONS. DR. VICTORINO G. VILLA AND DR. GERVASIO ERAÑA FOUGHT BITTERLY THE
PASSAGE OF THIS BILL BUT TO NO AVAIL. VERY LUCKILY, GOVERNOR GENERAL FRANK MURPHY
VETOED IT.
IN 1936, THE UNITED STATES’ DENTAL EDUCATION ADOPTED A MINIMUM TWO-YEAR
PRE-DENTAL COURSE AS A PRE-REQUIREMENT FOR THE STUDY OF DENTISTRY. THIS
GREATLY DISTURBED THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL SCHOOLS SET-UP. FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE LINE WAS CUT SHORT BY THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II.

TEN YEARS BEFORE WORLD WAR II DENTAL PRACTICE WAS FAIRLY ADVANCED DUE TO
IMPORTATION OF DENTAL MATERIALS FROM THE UNITED STATES.
DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION IN 1942-1945, THE DENTISTS WERE EITHER
HESITANT OR AFRAID TO PRACTICE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, PERIODONTAL DISEASE
BECAME RAMPANT. SCHOOL CURRICULA WERE MADE TO FIT THE OCCUPATIONISTS’
PROPAGANDA. THE FEW WHO PRACTICED SHOWED RESOURCEFULNESS IN MEETING THE
DEMANDS OF THE PROFESSION.
DURING THE CHAOTIC WAR IN THE COUNTRY, FILIPINO DENTISTS REMAINED IGNORANT
AS TO THE ADVANCES MADE IN THE FIELD OF DENTISTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. SO,
WHEN THE UNITED STATES AND ARMED FORCES LIBERATED THE PHILIPPINES, DENTISTS
BEGAN TO BE ACTIVE AGAIN AND THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE
WAR WERE FINALLY UNIFIED AND THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION WAS BORN.
UNDER ONE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, DENTISTS WERE UNITED AND MADE GREAT
EFFORTS TO CATCH UP WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS IN DENTAL SCIENCE FROM FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.

THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ORGANIZATION WHICH WAS THE JOURNAL OF THE
PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION MADE ITS FIRST ISSUE IN JANUARY 1948 AND HAD
CONSISTENTLY INFORMED THE INTERESTED READERS THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF
DENTAL SCIENCE IN MANY COUNTRIES.
TWO YEARS AFTER THE WAR, DENTAL EQUIPMENT'S WERE VERY MUCH IMPROVED AND
THERE DEVELOPED AN OVERFLOW OF STUDENTS SEEKING ADMISSION IN DENTAL
SCHOOLS. AS A RESULT, FOUR NEW DENTAL SCHOOLS WERE ESTABLISHED. IN 1948, THE
PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE WAS OPENED AND LATER RENAMED THE
COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST. IN THE VISAYAN ISLANDS
THREE INSTITUTIONS WERE FOUNDED. THESE WERE: SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGES, ILOILO
CITY COLLEGES AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN.
DR. VICTORINO G. VILLA, THE DEAN OF COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
THE PHILIPPINES CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF DENTISTRY IN THE
COUNTRY. HIS PAPER ON THE DETINO-ENAMEL ARTICLE CARRIED PHILIPPINE
DENTISTRY AROUND THE WORLD. DR. VILLA’S RESEARCHES APPEARED IN
PUBLICATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, SINCE THEN. MEAN WHILE, DR. LUZ. C.
MACAPANPAN MADE CONTRIBUTIONS ALONG HISTOLOGY AND ADDED TO THE EFFORT
OF FILIPINO DENTISTS IN RESEARCH.
THERE WERE ALSO ADVANCES IN DENTAL LEGISLATION IN THE COUNTRY DURING THE POST WAR
IT WAS THEN THAT THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION PLAYED ITS MAJOR PART IN THE
ENACTMENT OF THE NEW DENTAL LAW. IN 1948, THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES ENACTED
H.B. 2783 AND WAS SIGNED INTO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 417 BY PRESIDENT ELPIDIO QUIRINO. THIS
LAW SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR PRACTICAL TESTS IN THE DENTAL BOARD EXAMINATIONS;
IMPOSED A TWO-YEAR PRE-DENTAL COURSE AS ADMISSION REQUIREMENT FOR THE STUDY OF
DENTISTRY; SET AND INCREASED THE PENAL PROVISION FOR ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY;
AND EFFECTED CHANGES IN THE QUALIFICATIONS AND TENURE OF OFFICE AND DUTIES OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS. CONGRESSMAN RICARDO Y. LADRIDO ALSO A
DENTIST, SPONSORED OTHER LEGISLATIONS WHICH IMPROVED DENTISTRY IN THE COUNTRY. TO
MENTION ONE., WAS THE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 481, SEPARATING THE DENTAL CORPS FROM THE
MEDICAL SERVICE AND CREATING IT AS A SEPARATE TECHNICAL SERVICE OF THE ARMED FORCES
OF THE PHILIPPINES.
IN THE YEARS BETWEEN 1945 AND 1957, SEVERAL CHANGES WERE INTRODUCED IN
CLINICAL DENTISTRY DUE TO THESE FOLLOWING FACTORS: (1) THE PROFESSIONALS’
GROWTH IN DENTAL SCHOOLS AND INFLUX OF FOREIGN LITERATURE; (2) THE INCREASE
IN THE NUMBER OF DENTISTS COMING FROM THE UNITED STATES AND (3) THE EFFORTS
OF ORGANIZED DENTISTRY IN CONDUCTING REGULAR SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND THE
CONVENTIONS HELD ANNUALLY BY THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION.
THE NEW SOCIETY INITIATED BY PRESIDENT FERDINAND E. MARCOS A BRIGHT HOPE IN THE
ADVANCEMENT OF DENTISTRY IN THE COUNTRY. THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL ASSOCIATION WHICH
IS A MEMBER OF THE ASIAN PACIFIC DENTAL FEDERATION IS HOSTING ITS 8TH CONGRESS ON
FEBRUARY 7-12, 1977 AT THE PHILIPPINE CONVENTION CENTER ( A NEW STRUCTURE UNDER THE
NEW SOCIETY). THE PHILIPPINE PARTICIPATION ON THIS CONGRESS MANIFESTS A STRONG
DETERMINATION OF THE FILIPINO DENTIST ADVANCING DENTAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS ALL DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF THE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE DENTAL
ASSOCIATION, THE BULWARK OF DENTISTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
IT IS SURMISED THAT IN THE FUTURE, ALL PERSONS AND AGENCIES CONCERNED WILL
NEVER TIRE TO PURSUE AND ACCOMPLISH ITS OBJECTIVES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF
THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE FILIPINOS.
FILIPINO PIONEERS IN DENTISTRY
DR. ANTONINO VERGEL DE DIOS
• born in 1859 in the town of San Rafael, province of Bulacan
• graduated from the University of Pennsylvania College of Dentistry, with the degree of
Doctor of Dental Surgery on May 10 1893
• regarded as the First Filipino who graduated in dentistry abroad
• the only Filipino member appointed to the First Board of Dental Examiners.
 DR. GREGORIO R. MATEO

• introduced the so-called infiltration anesthesia in the Philippines which consist of 1 to

2 percent procaine hydrochloride and Adrenaline
• also introduced the gold porcelain fixed bridge which became popular among the rich
people
• In 1908, he founded the Sociedad Dental de Filipinas, the first dental organization in
the Philippines.
 DR. JUANITO AREVALO
• introduced in the Philippines the gold-foil filling which became a craze among
young people of the time
• made an astringent mouth called “Basibaro” out of buyo – a compound of bunga –
fruit (betelnut) leaves and lime.
 DR. ANTONIO DE ASIS

• introduced a kind of general anesthesia which he named “Somnigen” which literally

means a substance which produces sleep. The use of this anesthesia made him
widely known.
Others were Dr. Francisco Ponce, Placido Flores and Joacquin
A. Ladao. While Filipino dentist increased, the dental needs
and problems of the people increased. To solve this, they
formed an organization called the “Sociedad Dental de
Filipinas” with Don Bonifacio Arevalo as President, Gregorio
Mateo as Vice President, F. Calleja and Juan Villanueva as
Secretary and Treasurer, respectively
 DR. NELSON P. ANGELES
FACULTY, NU COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY