- Address:
- 5109 Leesburg Pike Suite 682
Falls Church, VA 22041
- Phone:
- (703) 681-3029
- Website:
- https://www.dencom.army.mil/
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- Company Information:
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The history of dental service to soldiers starts with the earliest days of the U.S. Army, 1775. Citizen soldiers were not provided dental care, but like many other logistic services, for example food and clothing, these patriots returned to their home towns when dental illness presented. For 126 years, from 1775 to the 1901, there was an increasing number of examples of hospital stewards (enlisted medics) who by special interest or special training limited their activities to providing dental care in conjunction with medical officers. In 1901 the Army authorized 30 contract dentists for an Army wide program of dental care.
Ten years later in 19ll these 30 contract positions were converted to commissioned officer positions and the Army Dental Corps was established. Because the "Highlights" start well before there was a Dental Corps, and because dental service is an effort by enlisted, civilian, and DC officers, the title of this pamphlet is "Highlights in the History of U.S. Army Dentistry."
Since the credibility of any document is partially attributable to a knowledge of its author(s), the current editor of the Highlights in the History of U.S. Army Dentistry would like to acknowledge (and share the blame with) those who can be identified as being significant contributors. The earliest version of this pamphlet that I have found is dated 1974. Although the Foreword was written by Maj. Gen. Spurgeon Neel, MC, and the Preface by Col. Richard L. Howard, DC,
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