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Army Dental Bill Introduced into Congress
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AMERI CAN JU LY 15, 1947
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V O L U M E 35
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DENTAL •
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ASSOCI ATI ON
NUM BER 2
W . M o r r e y , d.d.s., Editor
Published by the American Dental Association • 222 East Superior St. • Chicago 11, III.
EDI TORI ALS
Wuk
—HÜ!
A R M Y D E N T A L BILL IN T R O D U C E D IN T O C O N G R E S S
(H .R. 3336) to improve dental service in the Army was introduced into the House of Representatives on M ay 6 by Walter E. Brehm of Ohio. The complete text of the bill, which is sponsored by the Committee on Legislation of the American Dental Association, is printed on page 128 of this issue of t h e jo u r n a l. In April the Army issued its latest revised regulations governing the activities of the Dental Corps. These revised regulations are published on page 13 1. The Medical Department of the Army, under fire from the dental profession, is attempting to bring about the necessary improvements through revision of its regu lations. The Committee on Legislation is convinced that permanent improvement will be secured only through legislation. Facts, well known to every dentist who has served in the armed forces, substantiate the Committee’s conclusions. As has been reported repeatedly in t h e j o u r n a l , Army dental officers during the war were compelled to serve under regulations that represented nothing less than the gross maladministration of a vital health service. The American Dental Associa tion used every means at its disposal to have these conditions corrected. It even considered the introduction of legislation. However, not wishing to interfere with the war effort, the Association abandoned its legislative proposals and sought to secure improvements through revision of Army regulations. After months of strenu ous effort on the part of the American Dental Association, the Army, in August 1945, revised that part of its regulations which governs the Dental Corps. As in all cases of compromise, the revisions by no means corrected all of the imperfections in administration under which dental officers were forced to function. Revision did, however, bring about some temporary improvements which permitted the Corps to render better service. These improvements lasted only one year. In August 1946 the regulations were revised again, and the status of the Army Dental Corps reverted b ill
A
Uè
Editorial
J.A.D.A., Vol. 35, July 15, 1947 . . . 117
to that which it occupied prior to 1945. The 1946 revision immediately precipitated a volume of protest from the dental profession, and in April ig47 the regulations were again revised. These latest revisions are. essentially the same as those adopted in August 1945. How long they will remain in effect is a matter of conjecture. Although this latest action by the Medical Department of the Army may be help ful, it does not provide a satisfactory solution to the Army’s dental problem. Three revisions in regulations in less than three years constitute prima facie evidence that permanent improvement in the administration of the Army Dental Corps cannot be effected through regulation. Members of the Dental Corps have no assurance that the regulations will not be revised again next year, or the year after or at any time the Surgeon General and his staff may elect. So long as regulations can be changed at the inclination of those in authority, just so long will the status of the Army Dental Corps be insecure, the morale of its officers low and the service inadequate. No department within an organization can function effectively unless it is estab lished on a firm foundation. No department can function effectively unless its officers have authority commensurate with responsibility. No department can func tion effectively unless its members are accorded the same respect as that accorded members of equal rank in other comparable departments. Under existing condi tions the Army Dental Corps is not accorded these privileges. Now that the United States is again on a peacetime basis and there is no longer any possibility that the American Dental Association will disturb the war effort by recommending reorganization of one branch of the Army health service, this long overdue Army Dental Bill (H .R. 3336) should be enacted. This bill would place the Army Dental Corps on a firm foundation, comparable with that of the Army Medical Corps, and would enable the Dental Corps to establish its own professional standards and policies. It would permit the Corps’ administrative officers to initiate and direct all actions relating to dental service in the Army. It would give the Dental Corps full responsibility for securing facilities, equipment and supplies nec essary to render adequate service and for appointing, training and directing its own personnel. Under the provisions of the bill, all matters relating to the dental service as a whole are to be administered by the chief of the Dental Corps. The dental surgeon of every Army headquarters and installation that have dental facilities is to be regarded as a member of the technical staff and is to be responsible directly to the commanding officer for the administration of all matters relating to the dental service. The bill also provides equality of rank, pay and allowance with officers of corre sponding grades in the Medical Corps. Once H .R. 3336 is enacted, the Dental Corps can develop a service of which it can be proud without fear of interference by those who are untrained in dental science and who are at times indifferent to dentistry’s problems. Once the bill becomes law, its provisions cannot be revised easily at the whim of a coterie of high ranking officers. The mere introduction of a bill does not assure its passage. Congressman Walter E. Brehm of Ohio and the Committee on Legislation will need the active support of the entire dental profession in order to transform H .R. 3336 into law. Every state and component dental society should acquaint their representatives in Congress with the conditions under which the members of the Army Dental Corps now function, with the impossibility of rendering adequate service under those con ditions and with the necessity of enacting legislation that will ensure better dental gervice to Army personnel in the future.
. o
u
r n
a
AMERI CAN JU LY 15, 1947
•
Lon
V O L U M E 35
j L
i
DENTAL •
of
the
ASSOCI ATI ON
NUM BER 2
W . M o r r e y , d.d.s., Editor
Published by the American Dental Association • 222 East Superior St. • Chicago 11, III.
EDI TORI ALS
Wuk
—HÜ!
A R M Y D E N T A L BILL IN T R O D U C E D IN T O C O N G R E S S
(H .R. 3336) to improve dental service in the Army was introduced into the House of Representatives on M ay 6 by Walter E. Brehm of Ohio. The complete text of the bill, which is sponsored by the Committee on Legislation of the American Dental Association, is printed on page 128 of this issue of t h e jo u r n a l. In April the Army issued its latest revised regulations governing the activities of the Dental Corps. These revised regulations are published on page 13 1. The Medical Department of the Army, under fire from the dental profession, is attempting to bring about the necessary improvements through revision of its regu lations. The Committee on Legislation is convinced that permanent improvement will be secured only through legislation. Facts, well known to every dentist who has served in the armed forces, substantiate the Committee’s conclusions. As has been reported repeatedly in t h e j o u r n a l , Army dental officers during the war were compelled to serve under regulations that represented nothing less than the gross maladministration of a vital health service. The American Dental Associa tion used every means at its disposal to have these conditions corrected. It even considered the introduction of legislation. However, not wishing to interfere with the war effort, the Association abandoned its legislative proposals and sought to secure improvements through revision of Army regulations. After months of strenu ous effort on the part of the American Dental Association, the Army, in August 1945, revised that part of its regulations which governs the Dental Corps. As in all cases of compromise, the revisions by no means corrected all of the imperfections in administration under which dental officers were forced to function. Revision did, however, bring about some temporary improvements which permitted the Corps to render better service. These improvements lasted only one year. In August 1946 the regulations were revised again, and the status of the Army Dental Corps reverted b ill
A
Uè
Editorial
J.A.D.A., Vol. 35, July 15, 1947 . . . 117
to that which it occupied prior to 1945. The 1946 revision immediately precipitated a volume of protest from the dental profession, and in April ig47 the regulations were again revised. These latest revisions are. essentially the same as those adopted in August 1945. How long they will remain in effect is a matter of conjecture. Although this latest action by the Medical Department of the Army may be help ful, it does not provide a satisfactory solution to the Army’s dental problem. Three revisions in regulations in less than three years constitute prima facie evidence that permanent improvement in the administration of the Army Dental Corps cannot be effected through regulation. Members of the Dental Corps have no assurance that the regulations will not be revised again next year, or the year after or at any time the Surgeon General and his staff may elect. So long as regulations can be changed at the inclination of those in authority, just so long will the status of the Army Dental Corps be insecure, the morale of its officers low and the service inadequate. No department within an organization can function effectively unless it is estab lished on a firm foundation. No department can function effectively unless its officers have authority commensurate with responsibility. No department can func tion effectively unless its members are accorded the same respect as that accorded members of equal rank in other comparable departments. Under existing condi tions the Army Dental Corps is not accorded these privileges. Now that the United States is again on a peacetime basis and there is no longer any possibility that the American Dental Association will disturb the war effort by recommending reorganization of one branch of the Army health service, this long overdue Army Dental Bill (H .R. 3336) should be enacted. This bill would place the Army Dental Corps on a firm foundation, comparable with that of the Army Medical Corps, and would enable the Dental Corps to establish its own professional standards and policies. It would permit the Corps’ administrative officers to initiate and direct all actions relating to dental service in the Army. It would give the Dental Corps full responsibility for securing facilities, equipment and supplies nec essary to render adequate service and for appointing, training and directing its own personnel. Under the provisions of the bill, all matters relating to the dental service as a whole are to be administered by the chief of the Dental Corps. The dental surgeon of every Army headquarters and installation that have dental facilities is to be regarded as a member of the technical staff and is to be responsible directly to the commanding officer for the administration of all matters relating to the dental service. The bill also provides equality of rank, pay and allowance with officers of corre sponding grades in the Medical Corps. Once H .R. 3336 is enacted, the Dental Corps can develop a service of which it can be proud without fear of interference by those who are untrained in dental science and who are at times indifferent to dentistry’s problems. Once the bill becomes law, its provisions cannot be revised easily at the whim of a coterie of high ranking officers. The mere introduction of a bill does not assure its passage. Congressman Walter E. Brehm of Ohio and the Committee on Legislation will need the active support of the entire dental profession in order to transform H .R. 3336 into law. Every state and component dental society should acquaint their representatives in Congress with the conditions under which the members of the Army Dental Corps now function, with the impossibility of rendering adequate service under those con ditions and with the necessity of enacting legislation that will ensure better dental gervice to Army personnel in the future.