Origin and Development of Pediatric Dentistry in China

Abstract

Pediatric dentistry, an independent clinical discipline within the field of stomatology, is focused on the investigation of the etiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment methods of oral diseases, and the preventive management of oral health in children and adolescents. Herein, we provided a comprehensive and detailed review and summary of the history of pediatric dentistry in China, from the documentation of pediatric dental care found in Huangdi Neijing (《黄帝内经》), The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor, one of the oldest existing works on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine, to the origins of modern pediatric dentistry and the establishment of the discipline in China. We traced the timeline from the foundation of the Oral Pediatrics Group, Stomatology Society, Chinese Medical Association in the late 1980s to the establishment of the Pediatric Stomatology Professional Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association in the late 1990s. We also discussed the preparation of textbooks on pediatric stomatology, the development of the discipline, the application of new concepts and technologies in the prevention and treatment of common oral diseases in children, and the thriving growth of the academic field.

Keywords: Pediatric dentistry, China, Origin of the discipline, Disciplinary development