"That was the beginning": The professionalization and Americanization of dentistry in pre-state Israel.

The history of dental practice in Israel dates back to 1953, with the establishment of the Faculty of Dentistry at the Hebrew University. This article will discuss the early roots of American involvement in Israeli dentistry: beginning with the late Ottoman period in Palestine, through the British Mandate, the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and the institution of the Faculty of Dentistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It will introduce the central characters who promoted the professionalization process of dentistry in Israel--a process made possible by the 'Americanization' of the field: importing American knowledge and practice. Moreover, this article will demonstrate that although the majority of dentists and dental practitioners arrived in Palestine from Russia and from Germany, the main professional influence was American.