title: Dentistry's vital role in disaster preparedness.
abstract: The world continues to experience major disasters with large numbers of casualties and fatalities. Dentistry's role in these disasters is explored. Overall disaster preparedness is discussed and the potential for the health care delivery system in the disaster area to be overwhelmed is emphasized. The role of dental personnel in the armed services in treating casualties as a part of a medical response team is highlighted and the medical readiness training programs for military dental officers are outlined the development of similar training programs in the civilian professional sector is suggested. This might allow civilian dentists, augmenting and teaming with their medical counterparts, to help provide emergency care to the large number of casualties that will be generated in a major earthquake or similar disaster.
authors.affiliation: Base Medical Services, Brooks Air Force Base, TX 78235, USA.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Morlang
mesh_terms: D003813:Dentistry; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006801:Humans; D008885:Military Dentistry / Q000193:education; D014481:United States