The University of Peradeniya’s Dental Hospital and New Dental Faculty complex completes 25 years of service this month. Dental Education which began in Colombo in 1943 was shifted to Peradeniya in 1953.The Dental Faculty and Dental Hospital was at Dangolla - Peradeniya until 1998.
 The modern Dental Unit at the New Dental Hospital complex |
The Government of Japan agreed to extend its grant aid assistance and technical cooperation to build the new Dental Faculty and Dental Hospital next to Teaching hospital in Peradeniya following a request by the Sri Lankan Government. It was opened in 1998. Japanese technology and experts were engaged to uplift the training and service components of the new Faculty -hospital complex under the technical cooperation of JICA.
This facility helped to increase the annual intake of dental students. During the past 25 years this facility has produced around 1,900 dental surgeons.
At the core of the faculty is the Dental Teaching Hospital, which serves as a tertiary referral centre. This state-of-the-art facility provides preventive care, advanced diagnostics, and modern treatment modalities. The modern Dental Hospital and Faculty is the only facility in the country which provides dental undergraduate postgraduate training
At present there are 582 undergraduates and around 30 postgraduates undergoing training in the Faculty. The Faculty and Hospital is staffed by 23 Board certified Dental Specialists and 21 PhD holders in addition to medical specialists and other supporting staff.
The Dental Hospital with its academic and non academic staff along with dental surgeons, doctors and nurses from the Health Ministry caters to around 10,000 patients monthly and 1,200 major surgeries annually. The services rendered by the Ministry of Health staff of the dental hospital, from its inception since 1998 had been praiseworthy.
The Dental Hospital has centres of excellence for cleft lip and palate surgery and research in Oral cancer in addition to 175 fully equipped Dental units, wards, delegated operating theatre and ICU. The Faculty also has a Dental Auxiliary Training School offering diploma programs in dental technology and dental surgery assisting. These programs contribute to the overall growth and development of oral health professionals in Sri Lanka.
Since its establishment, the Faculty of Dental Sciences has pursued its vision of becoming a premier dental education, research, and oral health care institution. With a wealth of experience, the Faculty is recognised as the country’s leading dental higher education institution, excelling in student enrollment, staff recruitment, and the delivery of oral health care.
The Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, continues to pursue excellence in dental education, research, and oral health care. Through its innovative curriculum, top-notch facilities, community outreach initiatives, and commitment to research, the faculty is firmly established as the leading institution in the field, attracting local and international students seeking exceptional dental education and training.
The old Dental Faculty and Dental Hospital Complex 1953-1998