[The development of the dental profession in The Netherlands in the beginning of the 19th century].

In 1798 the French occupational forces in the Netherlands abolished all guilds. This created a vacuum for the Dutch dentists in the field of dental education, examination and controlling the dental practitioners, because this belonged to the task of the guilds. New legislation in 1804 filled this vacuum only partially and until 1865 there was no sufficient legislation for the dental profession. A brief survey about the social and educational situation of the profession can give the beginning of an answer to the question why the legislation payed no attention to the dentists. In 1865 dentistry became a part of general medicine and could only be practiced by physicians. In 1876 a threatening shortage of dentists resulted in a new law in which the dentist again received his place in health care. In the same year the first dental school in the Netherlands was founded and from that time the dental profession started to develop.