• Army Medical Services

Royal Army Dental Corps

The Royal Army Dental Corps has taken care of the Army’s dental health for nearly a century and continues to provide high-quality dental care to the Army both in barracks and on operations. Wherever in the world the Army operates, you will find the Dental Officers and Dental Nurses of the RADC.

Our Role

The RADC has developed into a force that provides the highest standards of clinical care to the Army in peacetime and on operations.

The Army is supported on operations by uniformed dental teams that are trained to the required military standards to work alongside their colleagues. It provides and maintains a high level of dental fitness, reducing the number of dental problems experienced by soldiers on the front line.

Recruitment

The Army recruits qualified dentists and dental nurses as well as dental students and unqualified applicants wishing to train as dental nurses.

The RADC has both Regular (full time) and Reserve (part time) elements, so whatever your level of commitment, a career in the Royal Army Dental Corps could be for you.

History

Although the Corps was not formed until 1921, an active military dental service did exist from the 17th Century. In the Regular Army of 1660, musketeers had to have sound incisor and canine teeth in order to be able to open the gunpowder charge. This was the first time the Army had an official dental standard.

At the start of the war no arrangements had been made for the dental treatment of the vast army that was formed. However, before long British authorities requested that a dozen dentists be sent to service in France, and by 1918 there were around 850.

In January 1921 the formation of the Army Dental Corps (ADC) was authorised by Royal Warrant. The Corps served in all Home Commands; the Army of the Rhine, Gibraltar, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Burma, India, North China and in the Caribbean.

In 1940, dental personnel were attached to field ambulances, casualty clearing stations and general hospitals, providing a vital role. 

A Special Army Order was issued on 28th November 1946, approving the change in title to the Royal Army Dental Corps.

Since World War Two, RADC Officers and Soldiers have served in support of operations around the world including the Falklands, the Gulf, Malaya, Korea, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more recently, Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola.