Department of Stomatology & Dental Medicine

In 1953, Professors Song Ruyao and Wang Qiaozhang established an independent Department of Stomatology based on the existing dental treatment room. With the arrival of many key figures such as Lai Qingsheng, Qian Xuejun, Tian Enshun, Huang Zhaojun, Yu Jiazhen, Gao Menglin, and Wen Zhuxian, the department entered its first rapid development phase. At that time, the Department of Stomatology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital held a high academic status in the national stomatology community: Professor Song Ruyao served as the editor-in-chief of the Chinese Journal of Stomatology and the chairman of the Stomatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association; Professors Wang Qiaozhang and Yu Jiazhen served as standing committee members of the Stomatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the editorial committee of the Chinese Journal of Stomatology. In October 1978, Professors Wang Qiaozhang and Song Ruyao admitted the first batch of three graduate students. In 1979, the Department established a laboratory to conduct research and clinical work in pathology, immunology, and biochemistry. In the field of oral medicine, Professor Wang Qiaozhang was recognized at the first national scientific conference after a decade of turmoil for his achievements in caries etiology research, leading to the establishment of the 'Glycogen Theory.' In 1983, the department began extensive clinical and research work on laser treatments in oral surgery and medicine, receiving the second prize for scientific and technological progress from the Ministry of Electronics in 1986. In oral surgery, the free iliac bone flap transplantation for mandibular reconstruction using the deep iliac vein as a pedicle was considered a high-tech procedure even in the 21st century; the research on using the superficial temporal vein as a pedicle for temporal bone flap reconstruction of mandibular defects, initiated in 1987, was also a domestic first at that time. The isolation and culture of oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, as well as studies on sensitizing laser treatment for hemangiomas and malignant tumors, were also at the forefront nationally. Progress was made in the research of oral mucosal diseases, including population surveys on leukoplakia and clinical and laboratory studies on Sjögren's syndrome. In 1994, the department collaborated with Columbia University to establish China's first dental implant center and initiated clinical and basic research in this area. After May 2002, with the merger of Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the Postal and Telecommunications Hospital, the Department of Stomatology received further opportunities for development and expansion.

The current status of the department has seen continuous growth and expansion following the renovations in the 1990s, along with years of equipment upgrades and talent recruitment, coupled with the merger of the East and West hospitals. As the discipline has developed, the professional group structure has been further refined, currently comprising specialized groups in oral and maxillofacial surgery, dental pulp and endodontics, periodontology, oral mucosal diseases, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, orthodontics, as well as the implant center and painless dental treatment center, totaling seven specialized groups and two treatment centers. The current Department of Stomatology has become a large department with nearly 51 comprehensive dental treatment units, 12 hospital beds, and 76 medical staff (including 48 doctors, 19 nurses, and 9 technicians). There is 1 doctoral supervisor and 5 master's supervisors. The talent structure of the discipline is becoming more rational, with 6 professors and chief physicians, 11 associate professors and associate chief physicians, 24 attending physicians, and 7 resident physicians.