FORT JOHNSON, La.  –   National Prosthodontics Awareness Week is April 21-27, 2024. Soldiers stationed at the Joint Readiness Training Center have prosthodontic care available to them at the Chesser Dental Clinic, Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

According to the American College of Prosthodontists there are an estimated 120 million people in the United States that are missing at least one tooth. Missing even one tooth can severely impact an individual’s confidence, job prospects, and overall health. Thankfully, there are dental specialists uniquely qualified to help restore these smiles: prosthodontists.

Col. Ann Behrends, commander, Fort Johnson Dental Activity, explained that prosthodontics is a specialty field that many people know very little about.

“Prosthodontics is an area of dentistry that restores form and function for people who have lost teeth or facial structure,” she said. “We are the dental specialists who restore beautiful and healthy smiles.”

Behrends said she wanted to raise awareness about prosthodontics this year to highlight the dental specialty.

“Our goal this week is to educate patients on what a prosthodontist can offer,” she said. “While many general dentists can do some of the same things we do, we have a deeper understanding of how different treatments may or may not work for a specific patient and are trained in more complex procedures.”

Maj. Maria Martinez is a prosthodontist at Chesser Dental Clinic.

“Prosthodontics in the U.S. Army and at JRTC and Fort Johnson is vital because we can assist soldiers with orofacial trauma,” she said. “I often treat soldiers who damaged their front teeth during training, often resulting in fractured teeth needing removal. The emotional turmoil associated with this is often quite devasting for Soldiers. Having a dentist on base who understands the best process and steps needed to safely extract and replace the missing teeth is extremely valuable.”

Martinez said spreading the word about this specialty is important for multiple reasons.

“Most patients don’t know what a prosthodontist does. Education will help them explore other dental professionals who can assist them with their dental needs,” she said. “Additionally in the United States there are roughly 3,500 prosthodontists compared to more than 200,000 general dentists. Most states have less than five prosthodontists while others will have none. At Fort Johnson, Soldiers are lucky we can offer prosthodontics services.”

Martinez said having a dental lab at Fort Johnson is also important.

“I am thankful I can offer same day crowns to my patients,” she said. “We have the technology to design and mill them in-house. This service is valuable and assists patients with basic dental needs.”

Martinez said if she had unlimited resources she would do more.

“Having damaged or missing teeth can have a huge negative effect on a person’s overall well-being. Especially when these teeth were damaged in the line of duty or while training,” she said. “I love knowing I can help a person regain their dignity by replacing missing teeth, improving their aesthetics and confidence by offering treatment options of which they were often unknown to them.”

Behrends said prosthodontists play an important role in the rehabilitation of Soldiers who have suffered a traumatic injury to the oral cavity, contributing to their overall quality of life.