History

 

The idea of establishing a higher school for dentistry was present since the establishment of the Bulgarian Dental Association (BDA). 

In 1921, at a meeting with the Minister of Education, attended by representatives of the Bulgarian Dental Association and the Faculty of Medicine, the following decision was reached:

  • Dental education will be received at the Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Odontology;
  • The training period will be 4 years;
  • The theoretical preparation will be carried out along with the medical students; 
  • Successful graduates will be awarded the title of "Doctor of Dentistry".

This decision came to fruition only in 1942, when Tsar Boris III issued Decree No. 32, which amended the National Education Act and three new departments were established at the Faculty of Medicine - Conservative Dentistry, Operative Dentistry with Orthodontics and Dental Technology. This is how the Department of Dentistry was founded, its first chair being Prof. Dr. Slavcho Davidov. In 1950, by Decree No. 542 of the National Assembly, the Dental Department at the Medical Academy - Sofia was named Department of Dentistry. One year later - in 1951, the Department of Dentistry grew into an independent Faculty of Dentistry.

Since 2007, following the European Directives and the Bulgarian legislation, the name of the Faculty has been changed to "Faculty of Dental Medicine".