EN 
ES Dr. Arabella Michelén
As a tribute to our founding father Juan Pablo Duarte, we will provide a summary of dentistry in our homeland.
Before the colonization of Hispaniola by the Spanish, our island was inhabited by the Taínos; scientifically, very little from that time can be taken as reference. However, teeth and other oral cavity tissues did suffer from disease.
In Taíno culture, their gods, known as shamans or bohíques, highly respected members of the community, were the spiritual leaders, advisors, “doctors,” and custodians of their culture. Their practices integrated the physical with the spiritual; oral health was no exception.
From the consumption of medicinal herbs and roots to rituals… these were customs that helped the population stay healthy.
Regarding oral health, they were instructed in a soft and balanced diet; hygiene habits, such as rinsing with water after eating, using thorns and branches for cleaning; chewing leaves and roots that helped with breath, alleviated pain, and treated infections.
The most common dental problems at that time were not very different from those today; however, without effective diagnosis and treatments for them:
-Wear of the tooth surfaces.
-Pain of various origins, whether chronic or acute.
-Traumas.
There are no reports of aesthetic treatments using precious metals on the anterior teeth in Taíno culture, as in other pre-Columbian cultures; however, there are reports of their oral health care as part of their overall well-being and health.
With the arrival of the Spanish, their customs were gradually adopted, and this is how the dentist/barber was introduced to the population.
It was not until the mid-19th century that the first Dominican dentist graduated, Dr. José Reyes Castillo, who studied in France, thus marking a milestone in Dominican dentistry.
From that moment on, Dominican dentistry has grown in line with technological and scientific advances, with more than a dozen universities offering dental degrees and several others where oral health professionals can pursue all specialties.
Becoming a reference in dentistry at the Latin American and global levels.
Today, oral health professionals are organized under the Dominican College of Dentistry, and their practice is governed by clear and precise regulations that ensure good practice for the population. On the other hand, Dominicans enjoy coverage for basic preventive services under the Family Health Insurance, whether through the contributory or subsidized regime, as established by our Social Security law, which is a tool that facilitates prevention from the moment of conception.
In the field of scientific research, the first steps have been taken, along with extensive work in prevention.
Today, thousands of patients arrive through tourism to seek dental services in our country, mainly due to good practice, quality assurance, and the combination of vacations and affordability.
Let us proudly celebrate the quality of the Dominican dentist and their practice in this land for which Juan Pablo Duarte fought so hard.
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