What’s Happening?
Australian Army dental personnel have been testing their skills in demanding military conditions during Exercise Pozieres Run, the 1st (Australian) Division’s annual warfighter event.
Held at Shoalwater Bay Training Area and across central and northern Queensland, the exercise challenged personnel to work under pressure while wearing combat dress and body armour.
Training included emergency dental trauma scenarios and simulated mass-casualty events, alongside routine clinical treatment.
Among those involved was Captain Tiarnee Iddles, from Darwin-based 1st Health Battalion, part of the Army’s 2nd Health Brigade.
Why It Matters
Army dentists must be ready to deliver clinical treatment in environments where working conditions and patient needs can differ from civilian dental practices.
Exercise Pozieres Run provided an opportunity for personnel to practise these skills while adapting to the demands of military operations.
Captain Iddles said the work required capabilities beyond those normally encountered in civilian practice.
“Being able to work as a wider health team within the hospital set-up is definitely something you wouldn’t normally do in a civilian practice, and being able to manage dental trauma and dental emergencies a lot quicker and better than you might do in a civilian practice as well,” she said.
Local Impact
The exercise included military healthcare activities across northern Queensland, where Army dental personnel practised working under operational conditions.
Dental teams could provide routine treatment within a military hospital setup while preparing to respond to simulated emergencies.
Key Points
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A rifle strike could knock out a tooth: Army dentists prepare for dental trauma, including knocked-out teeth, and carry specialised oral surgery and trauma kits.
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An entire dental surgery fits inside a box: The Smart-Port system contains two dental drills, suction equipment and an ultrasonic tooth cleaner.
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Dentists can support emergency hospital teams: During mass-casualty scenarios, dental officers may assist with patient movement or medications, while dental assistants help move patients between treatment areas.
Zoom In
Army dental teams continued providing routine clinical treatment during the exercise, alongside their emergency preparations.
Captain Iddles described the procedures they had undertaken.
“We can see everything that you’d see in a normal dental clinic. We’ve been doing a few dental checks and cleans, and then we’ve had one patient with a little bit of dental pain. So pretty much anything you can do in a normal clinic we can do here,” Captain Iddles said.
She also explained why military dental teams carry specialised equipment and provide additional training to other healthcare professionals.
“The patients we see are typically dental trauma cases. For example, a rifle to the face might potentially cause the tooth to be knocked out, so that’s why we pack a lot of oral surgery kits and trauma kits, and also provide education to medical officers and other health professionals so they’re able to manage those types of cases,” she said.
The smaller, lighter Smart-Port dental system allows 2nd Health Brigade’s dental teams to deploy more quickly and become operational in a fraction of the time previously required.
Zoom Out
Beyond military training, Army dental personnel also support the dental readiness of serving members.
Captain Iddles described providing care to NORFORCE soldiers in Darwin, where patients can present with complex dental conditions.
“What I find most rewarding in Defence is being able to give back to local communities,” she said.
She also highlighted the range of dental needs encountered during this work.
“For example, up in Darwin, we’re able to do work with our NORFORCE soldiers, making them dentally ready. They can come to us with a wide variety of complex dental conditions.”
What To Look For Next?
Following Exercise Pozieres Run, Captain Iddles said she would travel to Alice Springs for a placement with NT Health.
The placement will involve providing dental services in a remote community.
“During placements with NT Health, we also go to remote communities. For example, I’m going to Alice Springs after this and providing a dental capability within that community.”
