Gheorghe Bilașcu-the doctor with golden hands- The Founder of Romanian Dentistry!

Gheorghe Bilașcu (1863-1926) -the founder of the Dental School in Cluj Napoca is in fact also the creator of the Dental School of Romania. At the beginning, the dentistry in Cluj functioned in the building on Victor Babes Street no. 1 located in front of the “Lucian Blaga” University Library – a building that still exists today.

He was born on April 27, 1863 in the commune of Petrova-Maramureș, in a wealthy family of the voivode of Berceag and Dumitru Tatomir, documented in the 14th century. His primary school in his native village was followed by high school in Sighetul Marmației and the Faculty of Medicine in Budapest. At the beginning of his medical career, Gheorghe Bilașcu worked in several medical disciplines (Physiology, Obstetrics, Orthopedics, Surgery) in the Sanatorium of the famous Dollinger surgeon. At the age of 35, Gheorghe Bilașcu chose dentistry, later becoming head of practical work (lecturer) under the leadership of a famous scientist, Professor Arköwy.

He was a very talented practitioner, and between 1907-1919 he published a series of specialized papers (in dentistry). In Budapest he was known as the “king of dentists” or “the doctor with golden hands”. He had the talent to change the function of an instrument in relation to the therapeutic need he had. He also invented a pliers called the Bilascu elevator, very useful in difficult extractions.

In 1919, Gheorghe was invited to Cluj as an associate professor and to everyone’s surprise he chose to give up all positions and favors in Budapest in order to return to Cluj and establish a chair of Dentistry. In 1924 he became full professor of Dentistry at the Romanian Faculty of Medicine in Cluj. His former students remember him as a joyous person with an extremely picturesque language of the Romanian dialect spoken in his native Maramureș. He also founded the bilingual Romanian-Hungarian periodical “Revista stomatologică”. He published in renowned specialized journals, valuable works, such as “Tests on tooth implantation” or “Anesthesia in dentistry”.

Between 1914-1918, the First World War took place and many Transylvanians and Romanians from Bucovina were enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian army. Very relevant for the personality of Professor Gheorghe Bilașcu was his will drafted in Budapest on 15.12.1914 on the eve of leaving for the front. In his will, Gheorghe Bilașcu specifies that he leaves all his movable and immovable property, in order to finance a Romanian confessional school in his native commune Petrova and to grant scholarships to poor children in the commune, regardless of the job they were to do.

He was also a great lover of nature and a lover of hiking, loving the forest of Faget – where he also arranged a spring. That spring – today a fountain – is marked by a stone reminiscent of the great Professor. Unfortunately – Professor Gheorghe Bilascu died prematurely – due to a hiking accident – at a time when there were no antibiotics.

A bust of Professor Gheorghe Bilașcu is in the courtyard of the Dentistry Clinic in Cluj and another is in the entrance hall of the new building of the Faculty of Dentistry, on Clinicilor Street. The great scientist is buried in Petrova (Valea Vişeului). On the black marble of the tomb from Petrova, under the portrait of professor Gheorghe Bilașcu the following lines are carved, which reflect his high dignity as a scientist and patriot:

 

“A devotee of science and of the nation

Great, by the skill of his profession

Good, through his human feelings.

Generous by his deeds. “