Flight Dentist

[polkadds]

Once upon a time I had a pilot slot in the AF. I ended up giving it up and pursuing dentistry. I don't regret it at all, but there are some times I still find myself dreaming of flying military jets. Anyway, why is it that they have flight docs (that they put through flight school) and they don't have flight dentists. I mean seriously, the applicability of sending a doc to flight school is just about as applicable as sending a dentist to flight school.

I'm going to start a petition to make a new position... Flight dentist! Who's with me? Now I can pursue both dreams!!!

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[ArmyJawBreaker]

Flight docs or as they are known, Flight Surgeons, are essential to diagnose, treat, and clear flight personnel for fitness to fly in the military. To correlate a flight surgeon who evaluates all body systems and mind to a flight dentist is a little bit of stretch in my opinion. These flight surgeons are responsible with making people fit to fly, not a flight dentist who would say, "Yeah that class II amalgam looks good, I think are fit to fly." I just don't see the feasibiliy or necessity of a flight dentist in the military.

 

[AFDDS]

Once upon a time I had a pilot slot in the AF. I ended up giving it up and pursuing dentistry. I don't regret it at all, but there are some times I still find myself dreaming of flying military jets. Anyway, why is it that they have flight docs (that they put through flight school) and they don't have flight dentists. I mean seriously, the applicability of sending a doc to flight school is just about as applicable as sending a dentist to flight school.

I'm going to start a petition to make a new position... Flight dentist! Who's with me? Now I can pursue both dreams!!!

Flight surgeons do not go to flight school. They attend a residency in Aeorspace Medicine. Some are GMO's and haven't attended any other residency. Others are Internal Med, Emerg Med, or family practice that wanted to do something different. Essentially they are primary care for our fliers.

 

[AFDDS]

Flight docs or as they are known, Flight Surgeons, are essential to diagnose, treat, and clear flight personnel for fitness to fly in the military. To correlate a flight surgeon who evaluates all body systems and mind to a flight dentist is a little bit of stretch in my opinion. These flight surgeons are responsible with making people fit to fly, not a flight dentist who would say, "Yeah that class II amalgam looks good, I think are fit to fly." I just don't see the feasibiliy or necessity of a flight dentist in the military.

It's not a huge stretch. Escpecially since 98% or more of our fliers are perfectly healthy. Dental issues probably put more fliers in DNIF status than medical issues. While I was deployed, the procedures I was doing for fliers was more likely to lead to DNIF than what they saw Flight Med for. Non-surgical endo and extractions can lead to some lengthy DNIF times.

I understand your point, but I think you are over simplifying the role of dentistry just a little.

 

[ArmyJawBreaker]

I have experienced many flight surgeons who have no clue about systemic disease, diagnosis and the use of narcotics on flight crews. I also interact with general dentists and specialists that have no clue how to diagnosis, treat, and especially provide an accurate prognosis for simple procedures.

So, pick your poison as to who will provide a valid DNIF to a flight crew member. The general dentists/ specialists I work with everyday are lucky if they remove a handful of teeth in a month, so to rely on them to determine the necessity or validity of DNIF is questionable.

 

[AFDDS]

I have experienced many flight surgeons who have no clue about systemic disease, diagnosis and the use of narcotics on flight crews. I also interact with general dentists and specialists that have no clue how to diagnosis, treat, and especially provide an accurate prognosis for simple procedures.

So, pick your poison as to who will provide a valid DNIF to a flight crew member. The general dentists/ specialists I work with everyday are lucky if they remove a handful of teeth in a month, so to rely on them to determine the necessity or validity of DNIF is questionable.

Valid points all around. I've seen these people as well, I just don't want to generalize and say all general dentists are like that.

 

[Act0fgod]

Flight surgeons do not go to flight school. They attend a residency in Aeorspace Medicine. Some are GMO's and haven't attended any other residency. Others are Internal Med, Emerg Med, or family practice that wanted to do something different. Essentially they are primary care for our fliers.

To chime in I do agree that most flight surgeons do not go to Undergraduate Pilot Training but there is a small group of pilot-physicians who are classified as flight surgeons but also attended pilot training and actively serve as mission pilots (covered in AFI 11-405). Most of these individuals went to pilot training and then subsequently went to med school. For example Gen Travis and Gen Hepburn both did this. That being said there are a very small number of individuals that go medical school and then go to pilot training. Get ready for the not always reliable I know a guy statement because...I now a guy who graduated from the Academy, went to USUHS, and has a scheduled slot at UPT. Take a look at the bio of Gen Edgar R. Anderson for an example of an individual who went to UPT after med school.

Pretty small group of folks (less than 20) and there aren't that many positions on manning documents for P48VX's but they seem to end up in leadership positions within the AFMS.

 

[AFDDS]

Point well made. I guess I should have said, as a general rule they don't go to flight training since the vast majority do not.

To chime in I do agree that most flight surgeons do not go to Undergraduate Pilot Training but there is a small group of pilot-physicians who are classified as flight surgeons but also attended pilot training and actively serve as mission pilots (covered in AFI 11-405). Most of these individuals went to pilot training and then subsequently went to med school. For example Gen Travis and Gen Hepburn both did this. That being said there are a very small number of individuals that go medical school and then go to pilot training. Get ready for the not always reliable I know a guy statement because...I now a guy who graduated from the Academy, went to USUHS, and has a scheduled slot at UPT. Take a look at the bio of Gen Edgar R. Anderson for an example of an individual who went to UPT after med school.

Pretty small group of folks (less than 20) and there aren't that many positions on manning documents for P48VX's but they seem to end up in leadership positions within the AFMS.

 

[polkadds]

I was just kidding around guys... I guess that my blue text doesn't express the sarcasm like I would prefer. I know that flight surgeons do not attend UPT, but the 2 that I have talked with have attended a 6 week ground/sim/intro to flight program that familiarized them with the flight environment and gave them a couple rides in the Tweet. Currently they're both with an F-16 unit and regularly fly in the back seat of the "D" models when they're open.

Although kidding, I think it would be a great opportunity for some dentists. As I still don't know much about the medical/dental world; the way I see it agrees with AFDDS. There are a lot of dental issues that DO affect pilots in the flight environment, maybe it wouldn't hurt to send a couple to the same training as MD's.

Again, this is all in a sarcastic tone. I am very familiar with the military and know that it isn't a reality at all!

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Flight surgeons do not go to flight school. They attend a residency in Aeorspace Medicine. Some are GMO's and haven't attended any other residency. Others are Internal Med, Emerg Med, or family practice that wanted to do something different. Essentially they are primary care for our fliers.

AFDDS, you might want to speak for the AF only. In the Navy, flight surgeons DO go to flight school. Now, it is only an abbreviated course, but they do learn to fly. The spend 6 weeks at API in Pensacola sitting with the rest of the pilots and flight officers (navigators) during the indoc classes like engines, aerodynamics, weather, etc along with learning water survival and aviation physiology. I know this since I had a couple flight surgeons in my class when I went through API in 1999. Then they spend another 10 weeks flying in Beech craft T-34C jet props and Bell TH-57 helos. The Navy feels they need to know how to fly so they can better understand how flying affects those who fly in aircraft whether it be the pilots, flight officers or the flight crew.

 

[AFDDS]

AFDDS, you might want to speak for the AF only. In the Navy, flight surgeons DO go to flight school. Now, it is only an abbreviated course, but they do learn to fly. The spend 6 weeks at API in Pensacola sitting with the rest of the pilots and flight officers (navigators) during the indoc classes like engines, aerodynamics, weather, etc along with learning water survival and aviation physiology. I know this since I had a couple flight surgeons in my class when I went through API in 1999. Then they spend another 10 weeks flying in Beech craft T-34C jet props and Bell TH-57 helos. The Navy feels they need to know how to fly so they can better understand how flying affects those who fly in aircraft whether it be the pilots, flight officers or the flight crew.

Since the original post was about the the AF, I thought I was.