Right before the Dental Corps 103rd birthday was recognized at Naval Hospital Bremerton's Branch Health Clinic Bangor on Aug. 20, 2015, the impact of the corps was noted in shared comment cards at an all-hands call.

"Bangor Dental Clinic rocks! In 29 years of service I've been to many good clinics, but this is the best," read one.

"Lt. (Jeremiah) Sparks is the tooth whisperer," stated another.

Such is the effect the Dental Corps has delivered to those in need for over the past century, and continues to provide.

"From the First World War to current operations, we continued to maintain a high operational readiness and focus on disease prevention. What's important is ensuring operational readiness and access to care for our fighting forces," said Lt. Cmdr. Shawn D. Teutsch, Senior Dental Executive, of NHB's Branch Health Clinic Bangor, and master-of-ceremony for the birthday.

Along with the traditional cake-cutting and sharing of birthday wishes from other corps, Teutsch touched upon the history of the Dental Corps that goes back before the First World War to Aug. 22, 1912.

During World War II the ranks swelled to 7,000 dentists to care for all the troops needs. In the Korean War and Vietnam War dentists were engaged in providing support during Marine ground and air combat operations. The Dental Corps also helped provide emergency aid during the Beirut Barracks Bombing in 1983 and during Sept. 11, 2001 when five Dental Corps officers rendered immediate aid to those in need the Pentagon was hit. Dental Corps members also deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Dental Corps has expanded their involvement in fleet-wide operations and performs vital duties in helping to maintain high operational readiness in support of Navy-wide commitments such as Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan and Operation Pacific Partnership 2015. Dental Corps personnel are located at 28 military treatment facilities, with three Marine Battalions and nine Seabee detachments, as well as assigned on 11 aircraft carriers, 34 amphibious ships, hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, and two support ships.
There are approximately 1,350 dentists, with 1,090 on active duty.

The NHB Dental Services Directorate consists of three main dental clinics located at Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Bangor, Branch Health Clinic Everett and Naval Hospital Bremerton, and one satellite annex located at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard with 73 staff members assigned overall.

BHC Bangor handles the oral care of military service members to prevent or remedy diseases, disabilities and injuries of the teeth, jaw and related structures that may interfere with performance of military duty. Emergency treatments to relieve pain, control infection, and/or repair trauma for any person are top priorities. The staff also strives to ensure every military member has an annual dental exam and twice-a-year cleaning to reduce the risk of oral disease.

A hallmark of the dental service provided is that the directorate has maintained an Operational Dental Readiness (ODR) of 97 percent and Dental Health Index of 60 percent for over 10,000 fleet and shore based personnel in the Pacific Northwest.

"Our Dental Corps mission is to 'Ensure Dental Readiness' and our vision is to 'Optimize Dental Health.' Having a high operational dental readiness relates directly to that status for our tenant commands' Sailors and Marines and a high dental health index relates directly to future readiness," Teutsch said.

An ODR provides a measure of the unit's dental health and readiness. Military doctrine requires rapid response and periods of prolonged sustainment of deployed forces. Untreated oral disease may result in pain and infection that impairs individual performance and unit operational effectiveness. ODR has been, and continues to be, an integral component of combat readiness.

DHI refers to active duty personnel who are up to date with a current dental examination and do not require dental treatment or reevaluation. Such personnel are considered to be Class 1 patients and are worldwide deployable.

There are four classifications for Dental Readiness. Class 1: Patients not requiring dental treatment or reevaluation within 12 months. Class 2: Patients who have oral conditions that, if not treated or followed up, have the potential but are not expected to result in dental emergencies within 12 months. Class 3: Patients who have oral conditions that if not treated are expected to result in dental emergencies within 12 months. Patients should be placed in Class 3 when there are questions in determining classification between Class 2 and Class 3. Class 4: Patients who require dental examinations. This includes patients who require annual or other required dental examinations and patients whose dental classifications are unknown.
The last year was continually busy for all dental personnel. In calendar year 2014 there were 33,110 patients' visits and the dental lab completed 14,321 procedures.

Teutsch attests that one of the most gratifying aspects of his job is providing timely dental treatment when needed.

"Relieving pain and making it possible for someone who has always been self-conscious with their teeth to have the confidence to smile again. With oral cancer screening we can also potentially identify a cancer or disease at the earliest stages," Teutsch said.

Oral cancer screening is part of the ongoing awareness - and preventive - campaign against the danger of tobacco usage.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Lawson, NHB Oral Surgery Department Head and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, it's vital for everyone who uses any type of tobacco product to get their regular oral cancer examination.

"Dipping can be very destructive to the dentition functionally and esthetically. It can erode gum tissue and bone that may never grow back. Early detection leads to a better chance of surviving," said Lawson.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma has a 50 percent, five-year death rate and thousands continue to die in the U.S. from this cancer every year despite recent advances in detection and treatment.

Along with visits to Oral Surgery and/or Dental, it is important for patients to be aware of the following signs and symptoms, and to see their dental provider if they do not disappear after two weeks.
*A sore or irritation that doesn't go away
*Red or white patches
*Pain, tenderness or numbness in mouth or lips
*A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area
*Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue
*A change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth


For more news from Naval Hospital Bremerton, visit www.navy.mil/.