From Baltimore to Boston: the establishment of the first dental schools in Boston

The advent of dentistry in America was in Boston in 1630, according to Weinberger. Yet it was not until 1867-68, one hundred and twenty-five years ago, that the first two dental schools appeared in Boston, essentially simultaneously: Harvard Dental School and the Boston Dental College, the forerunner of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. This paper describes the early and rich heritage of dentistry in Boston and records the tumultuous birth of these two dental schools, each of which has endured and has remained true to its initial mission.