[Origin and development of dental surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery in Western Pomerania between 1951 and 2001].

The aim of this thesis was to present the history of dental surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery in Western Pomerania after World War II. It was shown that these related fields developed dynamically at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin resulting in the transformation of the Chair and Department of Dental Surgery into two independent units: Chair and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Chair and Department of Dental Surgery. Both departments provided mainstream health care for the population of Szczecin and its suburbs in the field of dental surgery and for the whole Western Pomerania in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. By engaging in scientific, didactic, and social activities, these departments greatly contributed to the development of dental surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery in Western Pomerania. The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is among the leading institutions in Poland offering oncologic treatment encompassing the facial part of the skull.