BRIEF HISTORY
The Faculty of Dentistry of the College of Health Sciences of Obafemi Awolowo University was established in September 1975 as a single department of Dental and Oral Health under a sub-dean. The Dental School took in the first batch of students in September 1975. For the first five years, 1975-80, all dental services were provided from the Ife State Hospital Dental Centre whose breadth and scope of services had been greatly expanded to cover practically all specialties of dental practice. Meanwhile the site for the University of Ife Dental Teaching Hospital was being set up at the University of Ife's Main Campus in Ile-Ife. Full-time services commenced at this new site late 1980.
On the academic aspect, the University of Ife Dental School commenced on the main campus of the University in October 1976 headed by a Sub-Dean, Professor N. O. Hollist. Following the 1990 accreditation recommendation, the school became a full fledged Faculty in January 1992 and the first Dean, Professor S. A. Odusanya was appointed. Dr. AO Olusile took over from him in 1994. Prof. E. O. Ogunbodede (an Alumnus of the Faculty) assumed office in 1999 while Professor O. D. Otuyemi took over from him in 2002.
Undergraduate training in Dentistry in the early years consisted of two parts, Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences followed by a three-year clinical training leading to the award of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BCHD) degree. This undergraduate training in dentistry lasted a total period of seven years after the West African School Leaving Certificate or G.C.E. ordinary level. The BChD Curriculum was reduced to 6 years (after School Certificate/Ordinary level GCE) at the beginning of the 1982/83 academic session. The compulsory B.Sc. degree in Health Sciences was abolished and dental students are now brought into contact with the study and practice of dentistry much earlier in the course of their training. More time is also devoted to clinical dentistry.
In addition to training undergraduate dental students, the Faculty also provides the staff that trains resident doctors for the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (O.A.U.T.H.C.) in all specialties of Dentistry.
Academic members of staff also carry out research, which over the years have focused largely on epidemiology of Oral and Dental diseases, the reporting of interesting clinical cases, and Laboratory based research. The Faculty also provides clinical services to the O.A.U.T.H.C. patients through the academic members who are Honorary Consultants to the hospital.
Lately there has been a growing pressure to review the entire dental programme vis-a-vis the number of departments, staff strength, curriculum, physical facilities and structures in order to be able to meet the national and international challenges facing the profession, in view of the global developments in information and material technology, and the need for reaccreditations.
The Faculty is considered to be one of the ‘first generation’ Faculties of Dentistry in the country and also ranks among the best. It strives to achieve the goal of producing dentists of high quality and in such numbers as are required to meet the health delivery needs of the nation at community and hospital levels.
Several interesting undergraduate courses are taught from the Faculty of Dentistry covering all the major disciplines of dentistry/oral health. Forensic Dentistry and Professional Ethics are also taught and examined. These courses include seminars, laboratory work and clinical practice.
Majority of the clinical courses taught within the Dental School/Hospital. Some of the clinical courses are also taught at our outreach stations such as Comprehensive Health Centre, Eleyele. Community dental health postings for dental students under the partnership programme between the College and Ife South Local Government is currently being proposed.
The Faculty has also developed postgraduate programmes in Dental Public Health which currently await Senate approval. When approved, the Faculty would become the first University in West Africa (and the second in Africa), to run academic postgraduate degree programmes in Dental Public Health.
