Two active-duty Sailors aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) made military medical history after U.S. Navy dentists successfully removed the Sailors’ faulty teeth and implanted 3D-printed prosthetics for the first time while deployed to a carrier.
“This innovative procedure not only greatly improved the quality of life for Sailors, but also demonstrated that Navy medicine provides our service members with the highest quality medical care available anywhere, anytime,” said Lt. Justin Odette, Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon. on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
US aircraft carriers carry approximately six thousand active duty Marines, including five dentists. A practice will typically have an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a prosthodontist or comprehensive dentist, and three general dentists.
In April 2022, these two patients underwent the all-on-4 procedure at Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington, which resulted in greatly improved oral health, improved functional bite and confidence in their smiles.
Both patients followed up with the oral surgeons and prosthodontists for two weeks to confirm continued healing and fine-tuning adjustments to the dentures. They returned to full duty after two weeks of recovery with no postoperative complications.
All-on-4 is a prosthetic procedure for the total restoration of a tooth patient and refers to all teeth supported by four dental implants.
Typically, patients were relegated to treatment delays until they received orders ashore or were given only removable denture options.
“Complex dental treatment plans such as ‘all-on-4’ were previously considered impossible or impractical while attached to a carrier due to deployment scheduling unique to Navy medicine and the unavailability of advanced digital dental equipment such as intraoral scanning and 3D printers,” he said. Cmdr. Michael Andersen, division chief, Area Dental Lab, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) San Diego, and maxillofacial prosthetist.
Today, eight of America’s eleven aircraft carriers are equipped with state-of-the-art digital dental equipment, such as intraoral scanners, that can speed and enhance the care we provide for our warfighters assigned to these platforms.
Odette, from the USS Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Cmdr. Justin Carl, from the USS Nimitz, were assigned to their first duty stations on their respective aircraft carriers following their oral and maxillofacial surgery training at NMRTC San Diego.
There, he was integral in creating 3D prosthetic teeth for this surgical technique as standard practice for future residents in the program.
US Navy Capt. Christopher Kaplafka, NMRTC Bremerton; and Cmdr. Robert Holmes, USS Theodore Roosevelt. Both experienced Navy prosthetists, they were consulted for their clinical experience and agreed with the treatment plans and rehabilitation of these patients after surgery.
Dental technicians took 3D X-rays of each patient and combined them with intraoral scans of their teeth to plan the surgical procedures and dental implant positions.
The surgical guides and dental prostheses were digitally designed and these files were sent to the San Diego Area Dental Laboratory, where the physical surgical guides and dental prostheses were 3D printed and completed by certified dental lab technicians.
Navy surgical teams received the finished products back from the dental lab in less than two weeks. The rapid fabrication of extremely high quality dental laboratory restorations like this is a critical element in military health care to return active duty service members to full medical readiness.
“I had a lot of fears going through my mind about the possibility of anything failing and having to wear dentures,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Dianne Ancheta, one of the two patients. “The operation process was good and I had no pain in my mouth. I returned to work two weeks after surgery and was at work to include two periods in progress. I have my confidence back for the first time in six years. I have my smile back.”
The Navy’s pioneering advances in digital dental technologies now allow patients to access world-class medical treatment on aircraft carriers anywhere in the world.
“These cases highlight Naval Dentistry’s exceptional ability to treat its patients, who are no longer limited to receiving excellent medical care only when assigned to shore duties,” Carl said. “This milestone demonstrates that the United States Navy remains a pioneering leader in dentistry and will continue to deliver remarkable improvements in the quality of life for its servicemen and women into the future.”
