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Class 3 dental treatment time.
Jeffrey G Chaffin1, Nasrin Mazuji
1Dental Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Army Dental Command, 2050 Worth Road, Suite 4, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
Military Medicine
|October 22, 2004
Summary
Making soldiers dentally deployable requires an average of 2.2 hours of clinical treatment for Dental Fitness Category (DFC) 3 conditions. Efficient clinics can treat most DFC 3 soldiers in about 2 hours, preventing further oral disease.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Dental Public Health
- Clinical Dentistry
Background:
- Dental emergencies significantly impact soldier readiness and operational effectiveness.
- Nondeployable dental conditions, specifically Dental Fitness Category (DFC) 3, necessitate dedicated clinical intervention.
- Accurate assessment of treatment time is crucial for resource allocation and operational planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the average clinical treatment duration required to restore soldiers with DFC 3 conditions to a deployable status.
- To analyze actual treatment times recorded in an electronic scheduling system for DFC 3 conditions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of treatment logs from the Fort Hood Class Three Intercept Clinic (November 2002 - February 2003).
- Utilized the Corporate Dental Application scheduler to track clinical treatment times and service types for DFC 3 conditions.
- Sample size of 375 soldiers who received treatment for DFC 3 conditions.
Main Results:
- An average of 2.2 hours of clinical dental treatment was required to make a DFC 3 soldier dentally deployable.
- Identified 398 soldiers scheduled for DFC 3 treatment; 375 received treatment.
Conclusions:
- Treating DFC 3 conditions is time-intensive, averaging 2.2 hours per soldier.
- Efficient and well-staffed dental clinics can achieve deployability in approximately 2 hours.
- Preventive dental education and maintenance are essential to avoid recurrent oral disease and intensive treatments.