Top 4 Military Dentistry Facts

Considered the father of the Army Dental Corp., Dr John Marshall was the first dental surgeon appointed to the US Amry and the first commissioned officer in the Amry Dental Corps in 1911.¹ Born in County Kent, England in 1846, Dr Marshall and his family immigrated to the US. He served in the 2nd New York Calvary during the Civil War and following his military service, Dr Marshall received his medical degree from the University of Syracuse in 1876.²

In February 1901, Congress passed an act authorizing the employment of dental surgeons in the Army, which also created the Board of Examining and Supervising Dental Surgeons.² The executive committee of the National Dental Association (the post-Civil War name for the ADA), recommended Dr Marshall for this board, and he served as president of the examining board that organized this newly authorized form of service.² It was during this time that Dr Marshall wrote what is widely considered the most important reports of early military dentistry; Organization of the Dental Corps of the United States Army, with Suggestions upon the Educational Requirements of Military Dental Practice detailed educational requirements for military dental service and the broader organization of the Dental Corps, among other things.¹

It was this post that allowed Dr Marshall a unique perspective on the state of dental education in the United States. He reached this conclusion: “The result of these examinations, it seems to me, prove very conclusively that there is great need for raising the standard of entrance requirements of our dental colleges, and for lengthening the course of instruction to four years, so as to be able to devote more time to theoretical teaching.” These standards did not change for nearly another decade, making Dr Marshall’s observations ahead of his time.¹