Oral Health Status of New Zealand Defence Force Recruits

The demands of operational deployment mean that defense force personnel must be dentally fit. Although medical evacuation for dental causes should be avoided, dental emergencies are a major non-combat-related contributor to withdrawal from deployment. Information on the oral health status of recruits and officer cadets entering the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is scarce, yet it is useful for service and workforce planning. We investigated oral health status and its associations in new recruits and officer cadets entering the NZDF over a 13-month period.

This study used data from recruits' initial dental examination (including baseline forensic charting), posterior bitewing radiographs, orthopantomograph radiograph, and a socio-dental questionnaire. The impaction status of third molar teeth was evaluated. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Otago Ethics Committee (reference number D18/200) and the NZDF Organisational Research Committee.

Of the 874 (83%) of the 1,053 recruits (age range 17-59 years) who participated, one in five were Māori. Nearly two-thirds were Army recruits. Caries prevalence was almost 70%. Mean Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) (3.0 overall) was higher among females and Māori. Few teeth were missing due to caries. Third molars were common, seen in 745 (88.3%). One in four maxillary third molars (but only one in six mandibular ones) had fully erupted. The most common type of impaction among mandibular third molars was the mesioangular type, followed by vertical, horizontal, and distoangular. Almost 60% of recruits had one or more potentially problematic third molars. The prevalence was highest in the youngest age groups, those of medium or low socioeconomic status and in Army or Navy recruits.

Recruits' oral health was acceptable, but potentially problematic third molars were common, indicating a need for careful assessment (and their possible removal) before operational deployment.