[History of the teaching of odontotechnology at the University of Budapest]

The teaching of odontotechnology at the University of Budapest has a more than 100 years history. It was started in the Academic Dental Institute led by József Arkövy. The first lecturer and practice instructor was Lajos Hattyasy. The first Institute of Odontotechnological Research was established in 1900, and was headed by the first "private docent" of the World appointed in Odontotechnology, Lajos Hattyasy. The Clinic of Stomatology in Budapest was opened in 1909 with European standard dental laboratory and practice rooms. The training program was extended to six semesters according to the act of the 1924 and 1936 Law of Education. In addition to odontotechnology the courses of dental materials and metals as well as restorative dentistry became independent preclinical subjects with a total of 670 teaching hours, making up 17% of the whole dental curriculum. That time Henrik Salamon and Dénes Máté were the chief lecturers. After World War II a new type of dental education started in 1952. The curriculum was extended to 10 semester with a great emphasis on odontotechnology. A very modern, phantom head preclinical training laboratory was opened in 1953. The total teaching time of odontotechnology was 360 hours and its theoretical principles were summarized in Hungarian second generation textbooks. That time Imre Földvári and György Huszár were the chief lecturers. From 1965 the significance of the course of odontotechnology was gradually diminishing and the teaching hours were markedly reduced. In 1967 odontotechnology as an independent subject was ceased and integrated into the prosthodontic dentistry. Its teaching time was reduced to 120 hours. In 1996 odontotechnology parallel with other preclinical subjects became independent again and earned a total of 260 teaching hours in the dental curriculum.