Every soldier depends on being battle-ready — and that readiness starts with their health. For British Army dental officers, their work goes far beyond the clinic chair. They are essential specialists whose expertise keeps the force fit, confident, and ready to deploy anywhere in the world.
British Army dentists are not just clinicians, they are essential specialists whose expertise directly protects the health, readiness, and effectiveness of every soldier.
Portrait of Captain Rachel Rudman in the Dental Surgery at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), on 4th March 2026.
On National Dentist Day 2026, we're recognising the people who bring their skills and dedication to one of the most distinctive dental careers available in the UK.
From private sector to serving officer
The Army gave me the chance to genuinely make a difference — enabling service personnel to be dentally fit to do their job and increasing their confidence
Before commissioning as a Captain in the British Army, Rachel Rudman spent over four years working as a dentist in the private sector. She explains what prompted her to join The Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS):
"I wanted to do more with my dentistry than I could in a regular NHS or private practice. The Army gave me the chance to genuinely make a difference — enabling service personnel to be dentally fit to do their job and increasing their confidence."
The RAMS is a specialist corps formed in 2024 from the amalgamation of The Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps, and The Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. It provides health services — including medicine, nursing, and dentistry — to military personnel and is fully aligned with the National Health Service.
Ready to go out the door
RAMS personnel can deploy at short notice anywhere in the world to maintain soldiers' health and provide care to the sick and injured.
One week I'm working with a complex case I'd rarely see in civilian practice, the next I'm preparing to support a field exercise at home or overseas. It keeps you sharp, both clinically and professionally
Rachel, originally from Lancashire, describes what sets Army dentistry apart from civilian practice:
"The training, the team, the sense of purpose. When a service person comes in nervous about treatment and leaves confident and comfortable, that feeling never gets old. As a dentist, I frequently sit outside of the unit Chain of Command, which gives a unique opportunity to get to know a broad variety of people in a way that others don't."
A career with real purpose
As a dental officer in the British Army, no two days are the same. You'll treat a diverse range of patients, tackle complex clinical cases, and play a direct role in keeping soldiers operationally ready. The breadth of experience across different environments — from garrison to overseas deployment — simply isn't available in civilian practice.
Rachel says, the variety of work is unlike anything she experienced before commissioning:
"One week I'm working with a complex case I'd rarely see in civilian practice, the next I'm preparing to support a field exercise at home or overseas. It keeps you sharp, both clinically and professionally.
“There are opportunities here that I wouldn't have access to otherwise. Adventurous training, battlefield studies, and sports are all supported by the Army and included in work. These push you outside of your comfort zone, keep you fit, expose you to different environments, and help you acquire skills in challenging situations."
World-class training and development
Those joining the RAMS have access to modern facilities, funded postgraduate training, and continuous professional development — all while collaborating with a team of skilled healthcare professionals. Whether they are developing a clinical specialism or building leadership skills, their career can grow in the direction they choose.
Becoming a British Army dental officer means serving those who serve the nation — a career that combines clinical excellence with a sense of purpose that is hard to find anywhere else.
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