Dental Morbidity in United Kingdom Armed Forces, Iraq 2003

The aim of this article was to review the dental morbidity experienced by U.K. Armed Forces serving in Iraq from deployment on Operation Telic in January 2003 until the end of phase 1 on May 1, 2003. U.K. Armed Forces dental teams treated 1800 emergency patients, including 135 prisoners of war. A total of 1523 of these were regular troops and 101 were reservists or Royal Fleet Auxiliary troops. This gave morbidity rates of 148 cases per 1,000 personnel per year for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and 160 cases per 1,000 per year for the Army. Lost restorations and fractured teeth were by far the most common problems experienced, followed by pericoronitis, pulpitis, and periapical pathological conditions. Both the rates of morbidity and the types of problems experienced were very similar to those reported by other nations in previous conflicts.