thedrifter
12-21-06, 08:35 PM
Article published Dec 21, 2006
Putting a smile on soldiers' faces
Dentists who work front lines also boost morale
BY NASEEM SOWTI
STAR-BANNER
OCALA - Last Christmas, while stationed in Iraq, Capt. Andrew Peters, the dental detachment commander, and another navy dentist looked at the Christmas tree perched in their camp and decided that it did not have enough decorations.
They went to their mobile dental office, grabbed some toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste tubes and hung them on the tree as decorations.
"It was nice .Ê.Ê. from the dental standpoint," he said, chuckling.
Navy dentists, who have been accompanying the Marines to the war zones for the past 95 years, are an important part of the military health care. Their role extends beyond dental care.
"It's certainly a quality of life thing that adds to the morale of the troops and gives them a break from the tension of being under fire," Peters said.
"I've heard some of the Marines say they looked forward to their dental appointment, so they could sit in a chair and take their weapons off," Peters said.
They looked forward to going in an office where there was a solid floor, air conditioning and television.
With the outside environment being foreign to the troops, Peters said, "Going to the dental clinic was like going back to something that was familiar. It actually helped."
Services of dental assistants were another morale booster for the Marines. "They'd come in and leave smiling a bit bigger," said Joseph Joyce, a former lieutenant commander in the Navy who served as the sole dentist in Camp Fallujah last year.
He was on call seven days a week and sometimes around the clock.
"It's amazing how many broken teeth and cavities were out there," he said recently from his office at Marion Dental Group.
Although the troops leave the United States at optimum health, they get stressed and sometimes sleep deprived on duty. "And they drink [soda] and eat [candy] - anything with sugar and caffeine - to stay awake," Peters said.
In addition, there are always emergencies and injuries - shrapnel in the lip or severe wounds - that a dentist would not encounter outside the war zone.
"We train to deploy," Peters said. "We have special equipment .Ê.Ê. a dentist and two dental technicians can go with Marine units with a 90-day supply and perform emergency and urgent care."
Since 2003, roughly 200 dentists have been deployed overseas. This number excludes dentists who serve aboard ships.
"You're embedded with the Marines to go out and fight the fight. Our job is taking care of those who go in the harms' way," Peters said.
Naseem Sowti may be reached at naseem.sowti@starbanner.com or 867-4140.
Ellie
Putting a smile on soldiers' faces
Dentists who work front lines also boost morale
BY NASEEM SOWTI
STAR-BANNER
OCALA - Last Christmas, while stationed in Iraq, Capt. Andrew Peters, the dental detachment commander, and another navy dentist looked at the Christmas tree perched in their camp and decided that it did not have enough decorations.
They went to their mobile dental office, grabbed some toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste tubes and hung them on the tree as decorations.
"It was nice .Ê.Ê. from the dental standpoint," he said, chuckling.
Navy dentists, who have been accompanying the Marines to the war zones for the past 95 years, are an important part of the military health care. Their role extends beyond dental care.
"It's certainly a quality of life thing that adds to the morale of the troops and gives them a break from the tension of being under fire," Peters said.
"I've heard some of the Marines say they looked forward to their dental appointment, so they could sit in a chair and take their weapons off," Peters said.
They looked forward to going in an office where there was a solid floor, air conditioning and television.
With the outside environment being foreign to the troops, Peters said, "Going to the dental clinic was like going back to something that was familiar. It actually helped."
Services of dental assistants were another morale booster for the Marines. "They'd come in and leave smiling a bit bigger," said Joseph Joyce, a former lieutenant commander in the Navy who served as the sole dentist in Camp Fallujah last year.
He was on call seven days a week and sometimes around the clock.
"It's amazing how many broken teeth and cavities were out there," he said recently from his office at Marion Dental Group.
Although the troops leave the United States at optimum health, they get stressed and sometimes sleep deprived on duty. "And they drink [soda] and eat [candy] - anything with sugar and caffeine - to stay awake," Peters said.
In addition, there are always emergencies and injuries - shrapnel in the lip or severe wounds - that a dentist would not encounter outside the war zone.
"We train to deploy," Peters said. "We have special equipment .Ê.Ê. a dentist and two dental technicians can go with Marine units with a 90-day supply and perform emergency and urgent care."
Since 2003, roughly 200 dentists have been deployed overseas. This number excludes dentists who serve aboard ships.
"You're embedded with the Marines to go out and fight the fight. Our job is taking care of those who go in the harms' way," Peters said.
Naseem Sowti may be reached at naseem.sowti@starbanner.com or 867-4140.
Ellie