Until World War I, no representative of the Dental Corps had been assigned for duty in The Surgeon General’s Office (SGO). The affairs of the Dental Corps prior to this time had been administered as part of the routine work of the Personnel Division, SGO. However, on 9 August 1917 the Dental Section of the Personnel Division was organized, and Major William H. G. Logan, MC, was appointed as its first chief. Major Logan, who later became Colonel, had both the D.D.S. and M.D. degrees. The Dental Section became the Dental Division on 24 November 1919. During World War 2, Army Regulations prescribed that “matters relating to the dental service as a whole were to be administered by The Surgeon General with the advice and assistance of the Dental Corps Assistant to The Surgeon General.”

The Armed Forces took nearly one-third of the Nation’s active dentists. In addition to providing these men with complete outfits, adequate reserve stocks had to be assembled for future operations as the loss of dental supplies was inevitably high under combat conditions.

This article looks at the equipment of the personnel which formed the Army Dental Corps. It should be noted that, contrary to the other Medical Kits, NO Dental Kits were ever issued for Noncommissioned personnel!

9710500 – Kit, Dental Private’s, Complete:
Number	Item	Quantity
9706500	Kit Component, Cantle Ring Strap	2
9708500	Kit Component, Pouch	2
9709500	Kit Component, Suspender	1
In Right Hand Pouch
5142200	Cement, Temporary, Anodyne	1
5427500	Pliers No. 104	1
5559300	Shears, Crown, Universal	1
5568000	Spatula, Cement	1
5597000	Syringe, Water	1
5696000	Wire, Ligature, 24-Gage, 18-Inch Strands, approximately 250	1
7178000	Towel, Hand	2
7624000	Pencil, Lead	1 Pencil
9206000	Dressing, First-Aid, Small, White	2
9509000	Slab, Mixing, Square, 2-Inch	1
9708000	Kit Component, Litter Strap	2
Form 52b	Emergency Medical Tag (20 in Booklet in Duplicate)	1
In Left Hand Pouch
2034000	Plaster, Adhesive, Surgical, 1-Inch by 5 Yards	1
3468000	Scissors, Bandage	1
7878000	Pin, Safety, Medium	1
9102500	Ammonia, Aromatic, 10 Ampules	1
9112000	Iodine Swab, 1 1/2-cc, 6	2
9201000	Bandage, Gauze, Compressed, White, 3-Inch by 6 Yards, 72	12 Bandages
9204000	Bandage, Triangular, Compressed, White	3
9707000	Kit Component, Insert, Type I	1
9767500	Container, Metal, No. 1: (For 9112000)	1

Between 1943 and 1944 the Kit’s contents went through a number of modifications. In 1942, the right Pouch contained the Smooth Beak Office Pliers No. 122, which were cancelled and replaced by a No. 104 item in 1943. Other products were either replaced by better ones or deleted, such as the Germicidal Cement and the Silver Nitrate. The contents of the left hand Pouch were equally affected. The early Enlisted Men’s Instrument Case, a standard item dating back to 1940, disappeared completely with its contents, but the Type I Insert was kept, though it lost the Flask with Ammonia Aromatic Spirit. Later on, during 1943, more modifications took place, as such the No. 1 Metal Container only held 6 Iodine Swabs (instead of 12), the Ammonia Aromatic Ampules were now packed in a light cardboard box (replacing the 2 oz Flask), the original 12 Triangular Bandages were reduced to only 3, but this was somehow compensated by introducing 12 White Gauze Compressed Bandages! As was the case with the other First Aid Kits, all White material was to be replaced by Field Brown-colored items (Dressings, Bandages, and Adhesive Plaster) course of February 1945.

9710000 – Kit, Dental Officer’s, Complete:
Number	Item	Quantity
9706500	Kit Component, Cantle Ring Strap	1
9707000	Kit Component, Insert, Type I	1
9708000	Kit Component, Litter Strap	1
9708500	Kit Component, Pouch	1
1383500	Procaine Hydrochloride, 20 Cartridges	1
2013000	Cotton, Absorbent, Compressed, 1 oz	1
2034000	Plaster, Adhesive, Surgical, 1-Inch by 5 Yards	2
4415000	Stopper, Rubber, Solid, No. 2 (For 9960500)	1
5155000	Chisel, No. 5	1
5158000	Chisel No. 48	1
5250000	Elevator, Winter, No. 122	1
5251000	Elevator, Winter, No. 123	1
5272000	Excavator, Black, No. 63	1
5273000	Excavator, Black, No. 64	1
5279000	Explorer, No. 5	1
5324000	Forceps, Tooth-Extracting, No. 150 A	1
5325000	Forceps, Tooth-Extracting, No. 151 A	1
5471000	Mirror, Mouth	1
5426000	Pliers No. 2, Dressing	1
5450000	Plugger, Plastic, Woodson, No. 1	1
7624000	Pencil, Lead	1 Pencil
7877000	Pin, Safety, Large	1
7878000	Pin, Safety, Medium	1
9112000	Iodine Swab, 1 1/2-cc, 6	2
9509300	Syringe, Hypodermic, Cartridge Type, Complete	1
9704000	Case, Dental Instrument, Empty	1
9705000	Case, Instrument, Medical Officer’s, Complete	1
9767500	Container, Metal, No. 1: (For 9112000, 9961000)	2
9768500	Container, Metal, No. 4: (For 9960500)	1
9951500	Sterilizer, Hypodermic Needle	1
9960500	Vial, Glass, 60-cc, Amber	1
9961000	Vial, Glass, Clear, Glass-Stoppered	3
Form 52b	Emergency Medical Tag (20 in Booklet in Duplicate)	1

The Officer’s Dental Kit was also affected by modifications throughout WW2. New items were introduced in 1942, such as the Hypodermic Syringe, Cartridge Type, together with 20 extra Cartridges (replacing the older Laryngeal & Dental Tonsil Syringe with its 23-Gage Platino-Iridium Needles, and three Tubes with 20 Tablets each of Procaine Hydrochloride and Epinephrine), while the Tooth-Extracting Forceps No. 150 and 151 were replaced by improved versions, No. 150A and 151A. In March of the same year more items dating from 1940, i.e. the single Red Rubber Sheet and the No. 100 Straight Drill Handpiece, were both cancelled. Throughout 1943 additional modifications and replacements took place; the old Canvas Case No. 2 containing three Straight Bur Handpieces was deleted, followed by the Nerve Broach Holder, the Exact Lancet No. 1, the No. 01-5 Towner Pyorrhea Scaler, the two Hand Towels, the two No. 2 Pulp Canal Cleaners, and the Bit Engine Holder,  all disappeared and were not replaced! Some of the items were more or less compensated by introduction of a Complete Medical Officers’ Instrument Case, and the addition of two Spools of Adhesive Surgical Plaster, and single Cards of Medium and Large Safety Pins; meanwhile the 12 Iodine Swabs had been reduced to 6. One of the last modifications to be implemented, was the replacement of White material by Field Brown-colored items…