The first Mexican dentist: Mariano Chacón

Abstract

Dental care in our country was provided by barber-surgeons and bloodletting practitioners from the arrival of the Spaniards until the first half of the 19th century, when dentists arrived from Europe to offer their services to the Mexican population. Once settled in Mexico, the dentists superseded the bloodletting practitioners in their profession and had to be recognized by the health authorities so that they could freely exercise the dental art. Thus, in 1841, the first dentistry degree in our country was granted to Eugenio Combé, a French citizen. It was not until thirteen years later that Mariano Chacón became the first Mexican to achieve the dentist degree. This article presents some references about this significant character of Mexican Dentistry, hitherto unknown.