One out of 10 members of the Selected Reserve are deemed unfit for duty because of dental problems, defense health officials say.
Dental readiness has been “the most problematic” of all medical readiness requirements for troops, Army Col. James Honey, chief of Tricare dental care, said in a release from the Defense Health Agency.
It has been far worse within the last decade. About 40 percent of Selected Reserve troops were found to be unfit for duty because of dental problems in 2008, officials said, and many others had trouble with their teeth while they were deployed.
“When they reported to their deployment centers before leaving the U.S., they said their teeth didn’t hurt and were told they were deployable," Col. David DuBois, dental surgeon for the U.S. Army’s Reserve Command, said in the release. “When they got to their destination, it turned into a disaster.”
Selected Reserve troops are on active status and part of the Ready Reserve. They are considered the component of the Army Reserve most readily available to be called to active duty.
Dental readiness in the Selected Reserve has improved since the 40 percent-unfit level of 2008, officials said, because the services brought in new programs and new resources, bringing the level down to 10 percent.
But the dental readiness is the same as “any physical fitness requirement,” Honey said.
“We expect everyone to have dental readiness,” he said.
This is especially important for deployment, officials say. Difficult conditions while on deployment can strain the body’s ability to respond to health issues, including dental health.
One way to improve it: access.
Soldiers can get cost-free examinations through the Army Selected Reserve Dental Readiness System, one of the programs intended to improve soldiers’ dental fitness. The system works with the Reserve Health Readiness Program, the primary contact vehicle.
Through the program, soldiers get treatment at no cost for conditions with Dental Fitness Classification 3. That category means soldiers are nondeployable without treatment for urgent conditions that “will likely cause a dental emergency within 12 months,” according to Army medical documents.
Soldiers are sent reminders about their dental appointments through the program, which tracks their readiness so they don’t need dental checks and treatments when their unit is alerted and goes to the mobilization station.
The intent is for commanders at all levels to have units ready in terms of dental health.
One more incentive for soldiers to get their teeth fixed before deploying: “If I had to choose between a nice, air-conditioned office or a makeshift clinic in tough conditions,” DeBois said in the release, “I know which one I would want.”
