| Army Dental Corps | |
|---|---|
 Crest of Army Dental Corps | |
| Country |  India |
| Branch |  Indian Army |
The Army Dental Corps (ADC) is a specialist corps in the Indian Army which primarily provides dental services to all Army personnel, serving and veterans, along with their families. [1]
History of dentistry in India dates back to vedic era. Patanjali and Sushruta were vedic era surgeons who wrote about extraction of teeth, forceps, transplantation of teeth from captured or dead enemies, and reconstruction of jaws, face and nose damaged in the acts of war or violence. Earlier Indians used to maintain dental hygiene. They used datun, especially from neem and babool twigs, to clean the teeth. Indians also used false teeth, in 1193 CE the body of Jayachandra was identified by his false teeth. Indians did not use refined sugar or crystal sugar and incidences[ spelling? ] of dental caries were low. Refined sugar or crystal sugar were introduced by the British raj in 19th century, and started to be used more commonly only after World War II. Consequently, tooth decay among Indians increased with the usage of these from 20% population in 1950 to 50% by 1970 and 70% by 1990s. [1]
Western medical practice reached India in 1600 CE with the first fleet of the British East India Company, consisting of five ships, each of which had two barber surgeons. They established shore-based factories for trade and progressively gained their colonial rule over India. In 1822 CE, first western-style medical institute for training was opened at Kolkatta, which became Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. First-ever dental college was established in England in 1855. Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed, who is considered father of dentistry in India, established first-ever recognised dental institute in India in 1925 after obtaining his Doctor of Denta Surgery degree from University of Iowa. [1]
Dentistry was part of British colonial rule's Indian Medical Service (IMS). The first Indian who joined the IMS was Dr. S.C.G. Chukerbutty in 1855. Regular dental treatment for British troops in India started in 1905 when special pay was paid to medical officers including dentists. Between the First and Second World Wars, many British military officers of British raj and their families did not like to be treated by the Indian doctors of IMS. However, the shortage of doctors due to the outbreak of the World War II forced the British Raj to recruit Indian doctors not only as the lower grade IMD (Indian Medical Department) but also as the higher grade of IMS, which was previously available only to British nationals. After 1940, when it was decided that a large number of otherwise fit candidates who got rejected due to tooth decay could be easily recruited, the Indian Army Dental Corps (IADC) expanded significantly. [1]
Physically fit candidates can apply for the recruitment in IADC after the completion of Bachelor of Dental Surgery or an equivalent degree recognised by the Dental Council of India. [2]
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition as well as the oral mucosa. Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.
Tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The cavities may be a number of different colors from yellow to black. Symptoms may include pain and difficulty with eating. Complications may include inflammation of the tissue around the tooth, tooth loss and infection or abscess formation.
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The Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides dental health services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. The corps is a part of the British Army's Army Medical Services.
Pierre Fauchard was a French physician, credited as being the "father of modern dentistry". He is widely known for writing the first complete scientific description of dentistry, Le Chirurgien Dentiste, published in 1728. The book described basic oral anatomy and function, signs and symptoms of oral pathology, operative methods for removing decay and restoring teeth, periodontal disease (pyorrhea), orthodontics, replacement of missing teeth, and tooth transplantation.
Early childhood caries (ECC), formerly known as nursing bottle caries, baby bottle tooth decay, night bottle mouth and night bottle caries, is a disease that affects teeth in children aged between birth and 71 months. ECC is characterized by the presence of 1 or more decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth. ECC has been shown to be a very common, transmissible bacterial infection, usually passed from the primary caregiver to the child. The main bacteria responsible for dental cavities are Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) and Lactobacillus. There is also evidence that supports that those who are in lower socioeconomic populations are at greater risk of developing ECC.
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems by regular brushing of the teeth and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath. The most common types of dental disease are tooth decay and gum diseases, including gingivitis, and periodontitis.
Dental pertains to the teeth, including dentistry. Topics related to the dentistry, the human mouth and teeth include:
The Indian Medical Service (IMS) was a military medical service in British India, which also had some civilian functions. It served during the two World Wars, and remained in existence until the independence of India in 1947. Many of its officers, who were both British and Indian, served in civilian hospitals.
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Tooth remineralization is the natural repair process for non-cavitated tooth lesions, in which calcium, phosphate and sometimes fluoride ions are deposited into crystal voids in demineralised enamel. Remineralization can contribute towards restoring strength and function within tooth structure.
Willoughby Dayton Miller (1853–1907) was an American dentist and the first oral microbiologist.
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The Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the Indian Army, which primarily provides medical services to all Army personnel, serving and veterans, along with their families. Along with the branches in the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, it forms part of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). The AFMS consists of around 60,000 personnel.
John Miller Hyson, Jr. was the former curator, director of curatorial services, and director of archives and history at the National Museum of Dentistry, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also the author of many articles and books on the history of dentistry and was a practicing dentist for nearly 50 years.
Washington Wentworth Sheffield was an American dental surgeon best known for inventing modern toothpaste in the 1870s. With the help of his son Lucius T. Sheffield, he was also the first to sell the paste in collapsible tubes. He was considered one of the most skilled dentists in New England and the United States, making important contributions to the fields of dentistry and dental surgery.
Henry Percy Pickerill (1879–1956) was a British-born New Zealand dental surgeon and researcher, university administrator and plastic surgeon. Pickerill made major contributions to several fields of dentistry and plastic surgery both in New Zealand and overseas.
Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed was an Indian dentist, educator and later minister in the West Bengal cabinet, who founded the first dental college of India, Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, later named 'The Calcutta Dental College', where he remained its principal until 1950. He established the Indian Dental Journal in 1925, and played a key role in founding the Bengal Dentist Act in 1939. In 1946, he established The Bengal Dental Association which was then renamed as the Indian Dental Association. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 1964.Remembered as the father of modern dentistry in India, in 2016, the Indian Dental Association declared 24 December as National Dentist's Day in his honour.
Stanley Gelbier is emeritus professor of dental public health and honorary professor of the history of dentistry at King's College London. He is a past president of the History of Medicine Society, and the former curator of the British Dental Association's museum.
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