A legacy of smiles. That’s what the Faculty of Odontology at the National Autonomous University of Honduras represents. Right here in Tegucigalpa this institution has shaped generations of dentists.
The Faculty of Odontology didn’t spring up overnight. Before the 1940s Honduran dentistry was largely empirical. Skilled individuals practiced the profession but formal training was lacking. Then a group of Honduran dentists trained abroad returned home. They formed the Honduran Dental Association. This group included Doctors Lisandro Gálvez Federico Smith Adolfo Zavala Fernando Marichal Wilfredo Renaú Felipe Lardizabal Carlos Zepeda and Diderico Lazarus. Their vision a formal school for Honduran dentists.
Their efforts led to the creation of the Faculty of Odontology in 1952. Initially it was part of the Medical School. The Honduran Dental Association President Doctor Diderico Lazarus played a key role. He petitioned then-President Juan Manuel Gálvez. This resulted in the Faculty of Odontology becoming its own entity in 1949. Doctor Lisandro Gálvez became its first dean. Doctor Rainel Funez was the first graduate.
The Faculty of Odontology’s early years were humble. Its first location was the ground floor of a building that housed the Ministry of Labor. The Medical and Surgical Faculty occupied the second floor. The Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy was on the third. The Faculty moved several times. Its student population grew. Finally in 1987 under Dean Francisco Dubón Paz it found its current home in Ciudad Universitaria.
Today the Faculty of Odontology offers a five-year undergraduate program. There is also a postgraduate specialization in Oral Rehabilitation in Prosthetics. The building is quite extensive. It features numerous classrooms clinical areas laboratories and even a library. The Faculty plays a vital role in Honduras. It trains dentists to serve the country’s dental health needs. Its impact is immeasurable a legacy of healthy smiles indeed.