Army Dentistry History Resources
Publications
- A History of Dentistry in the U.S. Army to World War II by JM Hyson, JW Whitehorne, JT Greenwood. Borden Institute, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC. 2008.
- “Female Dentists in the U.S. Army: The Origins” by JM Hyson. Military Medicine. 1995 Feb:160(2):57-62.
- “African-American Dentists in the U.S. Army: The Origins” by JM Hyson. Military Medicine. 1996 July: 161(7):375-381
- “The United States Army Dental Corps: A Century of Commitment, Service, and Care.” The Army Medical Department Journal. January-March 2011 PB 8-11-1/2/3.
- “The Army Dental Service in Vietnam” by George F Mayer DDS. JADA. 1967 Sept: Vol 75(3): 585-588.
- 100 Years of U.S. Army Dentistry: 1911-2011. Special Edition by Faircount Media Group. Tampa, FL. www.faircount.com.
Online Resources
- Highlights in the History of U.S. Army Dentistry - 2012 Ed: by JE King, SA Passo, NA Watson
- AMEDD Center of History & Heritage - AMEDD Corps History - Dental Corps
- The CPT Ben Salomon Story: by WT Bowers
- African American Dental Surgeons and the U.S. Army Dental Corps: A Struggle for Acceptance, 1901-1919 by JM Hyson
- Dentistry During WWII – an Unappreciated History: by Sean Zimny
- U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence: Army Dentistry
- From World War I to Present Day: U.S. Military Dentistry
- U.S. Army Military History Institute Medical Historical Services Division – Military Dentistry - A Working Bibliography of MHI Sources
- National Museum of Dentistry - U.S. Military Exhibit: 2024
- Women's Army Corps Veteran Served with Dental Teams in Vietnam War by Jeremy P. Amick, News Tribune, July 27, 2020, Jefferson City, Mo.
Personal Histories
- Oral History Transcripts of Interviews with MG (Ret) Robert B. Shira, MG (Ret) Edwin H. Smith, Jr. , MG (Ret) S. N. Bhaskar, MG (Ret) George Kuttas, MG (Ret) Thomas Chandler, MG (Ret) Bill Lefler, MG Thomas R. Tempel, and BG (Ret) Robert Strader
- The CPT Ben Salomon Story by MG Patrick ‘Pat’ Sculley
- Prisoner of War Experiences of COL Roy Bodine, Jr., COL (Ret), U.S. Army Dental Corps as told by MG Patrick ‘Pat’ Sculley
- “MAJ Fernando E. Rodriguez, D.D.S., An Army Dentist and Pioneer in Dental Research” by Susan (Sue) Allen
- “The Story of Technician Fifth Grade James K. Okubo, U.S. Army and The Congressional Medal of Honor” by Ronald Lambert, COL (Ret)
- “Alexander P. Suer World War II US Army Dentist Coordinating V 2” by JE King COL (Ret)
Did You Know?
Paul Revere performed the first military forensic identification using dental records after the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1776. And a French Navy dentist regularly treated American soldiers fighting for our fledgling country during the Revolutionary War.
Until 1911, when Congress passed a law establishing the U.S. Army Dental Corps, the Army relied on civilian dentists to support the oral health care needs of its soldiers.
Today, more than 100 years later, Army Dentistry has a long and resolute tradition of serving soldiers wherever they may be. In garrison and in the field – Army Dentistry is there.
For more information, visit the AAD Army Dentistry Timeline.
Spotlight on Excellence
On Nov. 8, 2025, the U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame inducted COL (Ret) Peter M. Tan, DIMA/MOBDES chief from 2012 to 2015 and former board member of the Association of Army Dentistry. Tan retired from the Army in 2018 after 36 years of active duty and reserve service, but his service to his country continued.
In 2021, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth appointed Tan civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Florida. He has also served as a director of AUSA Suncoast Chapter and president of the Citrus Chapter of MOAA. His diplomate status in the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology, as well as fellowships in many dental organizations, recognize his professional expertise. The numerous awards he received while in the Army, including the Legion of Merit, underscore his dedication to military service.
Tan was the recipient of the 2023 American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Humanitarian Award and the 2016 Horace Wells Award of Merit in Anesthesiology. He is currently the chairman of the board of trustees of HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital, and president and chief executive officer of TANARM, LLC.
On this Day in the History of U.S. Army Dentistry
For more historical events, visit the Army Dentistry History Timeline.