MEDICAL LESSONS LEARNED

File: aaata_21.txt
Page: 21
Total Pages: 36

MEDICAL LESSONS LEARNED
DESERT SHIELD/STORM

CATEGORY: Mobility

ISSUE/ITEM:

SUBJECT: Dental Qualification for World Wide Duty

BACKGROUND: Specific dental screening of mobility personnel is a MAJCOM
initiative, with some establishing such requirements, others not. ATC requires
certification of Dental Class I or II condition for all mobility personnel and
confirmation of panoral radiographs in file, with documentation of both
maintained as part of the mobility folder. Priority dental treatment is given
to maintenance of oral health of all mobility personnel. The serial profile is
used to notify commanders of temporary disqualifying conditions.

DISCUSSION: Feedback from SGD channels indicated a significant incidence of
dental emergencies in the AOR. These dental problems were reportedly occurring
among virtually every service. This indicates a potential need for additional
attention to dental care and dental preventive measures for personnel subject to
deployment.

ACTION RECOMMENDED:

(1) Assess whether incidence of dental emergencies was/was not a
problem.

(2) Implement USAF wide dental screening of mobility personnel, add
as requirement to AFR 28-4, MOP 17.

SUGGESTED OPRs/OCRs: HQ USAF/SGD/SGHR

SUBMITTER: [(b)(2)] HQ ATC/SGAX