The Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) is a specialist

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

that provides

dental health Dental Public Health (DPH) is a para-clinical specialty of dentistry that deals with the prevention of oral disease and promotion of oral health. Dental public health is involved in the assessment of key dental health needs and coming up with effe ...

services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. The corps is a part of the British Army's

Army Medical Services The Army Medical Services (AMS) is the organisation responsible for administering the corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army. It is headquartered at the former Staff College, Camberley, near the ...

History

While army regimental surgeons had been providing dental care services to soldiers since circa 1660, it was not until 1901 that a dental service branch was formally established under the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

(RAMC), but in 1908 this was dissolved and the Army returned to contracting civilian dentists.Gilles Dussault, "The Professionalisation of Dentistry in Britain: A Study of Occupational Strategies, 1900-1957", unpublished PhD thesis, Bedford College, London, 1981, p.132
/ref> It was re-established at the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

in 1914. In January 1921, dentists of the RAMC were split off into a separate Army Dental Corps (ADC). The corps was awarded the "royal" prefix to become the Royal Army Dental Corps in November 1946 in recognition of its service in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Royal Army Dental Corps specialisations

Qualified

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofacial c ...

s are all

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...

s. Dental nurses are

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

s. Before the

, ADC recruits were required to be at least tall and could enlist up to 30 years of age. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a further five years with the reserve. They trained at the Royal Army Medical Corps Depot, Crookham Camp,

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...

, before proceedings to specialist trade training. The two trades available at that time were Clerk Orderly (who assisted in the operating room and in clerical work) and Dental Mechanic (who worked in dental workshops).

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

, ''His Majesty's Army'', 1938

Alliances

* –

Royal Canadian Dental Corps The Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC, french: links=no, Corps dentaire royal canadien) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Most members of RCDC, along with the members of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, are employed in ...

* –

Royal Australian Army Dental Corps The Royal Australian Army Dental Corps (RAADC) is a corps within the Australian Army. It was formed on 23 April 1943 during World War II as the Australian Army Dental Corps, before being granted the 'Royal' prefix in 1948. Prior to its formation ...

* –

Royal New Zealand Dental Corps The Royal New Zealand Dental Corps (RNZDC) is a corps of the New Zealand Army. The corps was initially formed on 7 November 1915 as the ''New Zealand Dental Corps'' under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Hunter, as part of New Zealand's ...

Order of precedence

References

External links

Official siteRoyal Army Dental Corps Association
{{The British Army British administrative corps Corps of the British Army in World War II Dental organisations based in the United Kingdom Medical units and formations of the British Army Military dentistry Military units and formations established in 1921 1921 establishments in the United Kingdom