History of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand

Dentistry education in Thailand was originated by the establishment of the first Faculty of Dentistry of Thailand in 1942. Postgraduate dentistry education or training was not available during that time. However, following the returns of several faculty members and dentists from their studies abroad in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and so on. The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Medicine (which subsequently switched its affiliation to Chulalongkorn University) then introduced postgraduate studies in dentistry at the graduate certificate level, and leventually expanded to the master’s and doctorate levels. Currently, postgraduate dental programs are offered at faculties of dentistry in eight universities, namely, Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, Prince of Songkla University, Srinakharinwirot University, Thammasat University, and Naresuan University.

The Dental Profession Act which was enacted in 1994 led to the founding of the Dental Council of Thailand whose Board comprises of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, President of the Dental Association of Thailand Under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, deans of the Faculties of Dentistry at various universities, and representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and a number of elected members of the Dental Council of Thailand. The Council is responsible for ensuring that Thai citizens receive dental care from suitably knowledgeable and skilled dentists, including specialists in various fields. The first Board of the Dental Council of Thailand, with Professor (Adjunct) Lieutenant General Pisal Thepasitha as President, approved the Dental Council of Thailand Regulation on Issuance of Certificate of Proficiency and Certificate of Approval to Persons with Knowledge and Competencies in the Practicing of Dental Profession, B.E. 2539 (1996). The Regulation stipulated 10 fields of dentistry: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Endodontics, Operative Dentistry, Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Dental Public Health, and General Dentistry.

In 2002, the third Board of the Dental Council of Thailand, with Dr. Piyapong Watanawee as President, approved the Dental Council of Thailand Regulation establishing the College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand with the goal of promoting academic standards for dentistry education, research, and dental practices, particularly through the issuance of certificates of proficiency for dental profession. This Board of the College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand comprised of an elected President and Vice Presidents, an appointed Secretary General, Registrar and Treasurer, representatives of key institutions offering training programs, and representatives of the Training and Examination Sub-committees in the aforementioned 10 fields of dentistry. The first Board of the College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand was appointed in 2003 with Professor (Adjunct) Thanpuying Petchara Techakampuch as president.

Thai dentists have great appreciation for His Majesty King Rama XI’s royal contribution to the work of the dental profession. Since 1969, His Majesty emphasized the importance of dental care, particularly for the underprivileged and those in remote areas. In his address to his personal dentist, Professor Lieutenant General Si Sirisingha that, "For the disadvantaged and those far from urban centers, it is difficult to leave their fields and travel to the city for dental issues. Dentists should occasionally go out to care for these people because dental diseases affect everyone."

These addresses instigated a community dentistry project in the form of mobile dental clinics for the first time in Thailand. His Majesty the King bestowed the name of the “Royal Dental Unit” which entirely funded by His Majesty. Faculty members and alumni of the Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, were the first group of volunteer dentists to provide dental services to poor, underprivileged people in the country’s remote areas in 1970, and have continued to the present day. His Majesty the King subsequently delegated a Royal Dental Unit to all universities that has a Faculty of Dentistry to ensure that dental care was accessible nationwide. In addition to the Mobile Dental Unit projects operated by faculties of Dentistry, there are also other dental projects initiated by His Majesty King Rama IX such as the Tarm Sadet Dental Care Project, the Boat Dental Care (Vetchapah) Project, and the Na Wang Dental Care Project.

A large number of members of the Dental Council of Thailand and the College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand had honored the royal determination of His Majesty the King and the Princess Mother (Somdet Phra Sri Nakarindra Boromratchonni) to promote dental health of the people by working as volunteers in the Royal Dental Units and the Princess Mother’s Royal Medical Units to provide dental services and education to the underprivileged in remote areas. Additionally, during the catastrophic "tsunami" disaster in six southern provinces of Thailand on December 26, 2004, volunteer dentists together with volunteering faculty members and general volunteers were known to have significantly contributed to the forensic personal identification of the victim especially through thier dental records. These works received a high level of public recognition and brought great pride to the dental profession.

In 2005, the Board of the College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand passed a resolution to submit a request for His Majesty the King’s royal patronage and become the “Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand”. The Office of the Royal Secretariat subsequently presented the request for His Majesty the King’s consideration and royal benevolence and obtained supporting data on the request from relevant government departments. When His Majesty the King learned of the request, he agreed to accept the College under his royal patronage and granted permission to have the College’s name changed to the “Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand” and to have a royal crown added to the top of the College’s logo from 15 February 2006 onwards. The royal patronage is a profound honor for the members and a significant blessing for the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand.

On the auspicious occasion of the 60th anniversary celebrations of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Accession to the Throne in 2006, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand deeply acknowledged His Majesty the King’s royal benevolence in taking care of the welfare of his people by paying them regular visits in his striving to eliminate their sufferings through his exceptional knowledge and wisdom. His Majesty the King has far-reaching visions, especially in the areas of dental health problems and diseases and pays much importance to the work of dental professionals. Based on the royal benevolence that His Majesty the King has bestowed upon the dental profession and the general public, the Board of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Thailand, at its meeting No. 4/2549 on 8 May 2006, passed a unanimous resolution to present the Royal College’s first honorary membership to His Majesty the King to express its gratitude and loyalty to the King. The honorary membership presentation ceremony, in which the Royal College proffered its ordinary membership together with an academic gown and academic pin to His Majesty the King was scheduled on 1 September 2006 at Rama Gardens Hotel in Bangkok. It is hoped that this will provide incentives to members of the Royal College to continue providing effective and skillful dental assistance to the people, promoting medical and educational progress, member unity, and public dental services in accordance with its declared missions.