Military doctors attribute this to the popularity of rapid cosmetic dentistry procedures to obtain a “Hollywood smile,” with some soldiers resorting to these procedures outside Britain due to their lower cost.
However, these procedures, experts emphasize, have led to adverse outcomes, causing tooth decay, gum disease, and the appearance of abscesses due to poor quality materials and the weak medical standards in some centers where the procedures were performed.
Doctors warn that these problems may lead to a deterioration in the soldier’s health, hindering them from performing their military duties, in addition to the significant financial costs of treating these cases.
Decline in the Number of Recruits
According to the British “Daily Mail” newspaper, the army rejected 173 new recruits over the past four years due to gum disease and advanced tooth decay.
This comes at a time when the British Army is witnessing a noticeable decline in its numbers, with its personnel reaching only about 70,000 soldiers, after having been more than 100,000 soldiers in 2010.
The problem of dental health is added to a long list of challenges facing the British military establishment, including poor physical fitness and vision problems, making it more difficult to maintain sufficient manpower to meet the requirements of service.
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