Piece of the Fight: Chew on this

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bonnie Brewer
  • 319 Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Some people love them, some people hate them and some people are absolutely terrified of them. Once every year, though, we all have to set aside some time in our day to visit them. As members of the United States Air Force, we are all required to have an annual checkup with dental, whether we think we need it or not.

So what gives? Why is the Air Force concerned with my oral health? What does it matter if I floss my teeth daily? I brush my teeth twice a day, so I shouldn't have to worry about my oral health, right?

The dentist might be more important to your oral health than you realize. Your annual dental health exam not only keeps your teeth healthy and clean, but also keeps you fit to fight.

Brushing and flossing regularly will keep your gums healthy, said Tech. Sgt. Vicki L. Haas, the clinical element NCO-in-charge with the 319th Medical Operations Squadron, but getting your teeth cleaned by a professional helps clean up hardened plaque that builds up over time. Getting rid of that hardened plaque, called calculus, reduces the chances of getting an oral infection.

The information that is gathered at your annual dental appointment is also used to determine if you are able to deploy.

"We're that first stop before you go down range," said Haas. "We're not going to send you down there unless you're physically ready."

Haas said that if you are busy focusing on a pain in your jaw or in your teeth, it can distract you from the mission. It will keep you up at night, and it can cause swelling and bleeding. She said the swelling could even cause you to have trouble breathing.

There are certain conditions that will actually keep you from going overseas, said Haas. Anything that could be considered an emergency within the next six months will keep you stateside.

Dentists aren't just there to clean and pull your teeth either. When people suffer from medical conditions that cause them to lose portions of their jaw, dentists are there to rebuild their jaw for them, said Haas. They can even replace pieces of nose, ears, and eyes.

"If it weren't for us, people wouldn't be deployable," said Senior Airman Julian Giovanni Carrera, a dental assistant with the 319th MDOS. "We have a mission to make sure everybody is going to be able to do their job overseas. If people are busy focusing on their teeth, lives can be lost."

Carrera said that brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once at night will help you keep your teeth healthy in between dental visits. He also said wearing a mouth guard while playing sports is another way to ensure that you keep your teeth in your mouth.

So whether you love them or hate them, you'd better get used to seeing them every year. Without the dentist, our missions could be jeopardized, and lives down range put at risk.