<div class="image-200">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-22/bonifacio-arevalo.avif"  alt="Dr. Bonifacio Arevalo" />
</div>

<p>
Born on May 14, 1850, he was the founding president of <i>Sociedad Dental de Filipinas</i>, the first dental organization in the Philippines established in 1908.
</p>
<p>
Dr. Arevalo used to be the assistant and later became partner of a French dentist from Hong Kong, known only as Monsieur M. Fertri, who came to Manila and set up his dental office in Quiapo. The joint practice of these two unassuming dentists marked the beginning of dentistry in the country.
</p>
<p>
During the Spanish regime, being a dentist was not a legally established profession and any person capable of extracting teeth could practice without rendering himself culpable of illegal practice of dentistry.
</p>
<p>
Later on, a special course was established in the University of Santo Tomas for <i>"cirujanos ministrantes"</i> which was eventually changed to <i>"cirujanos dentistas"</i>.  This curriculum marked a milestone of great significance in the development of dentistry as a profession in the country. 
</p>

<h5>
Source:
</h5>
<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Philippine News Agency archives
</li>
<li>
Photo credit:  <a href="http://opac.filipinaslibrary.org.ph" class="news_link" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Filipinas Heritage Library</a> 
</li>
</ol>




December 13, 1920: Dr. Bonifacio Arevalo, regarded as the first Filipino dentist died