Oral health of German Luftwaffe pilots during World War II

International audienceIntroduction: The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of dental remains from the archaeological excavation of a military site used by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) during World War II. Studying the dental data from these remains allows us to understand the health policy of the German armed forces in this context. Materials and method: The study focuses on dental data. The percentage of the remains corresponding to four criteria were calculated: undiagnosed carious lesions, dental restorations, dental prostheses and the presence of calculus. Results: The remains of 16 individuals were analysed. Carious lesions were present in 87.50% of the study population. Dental restorations were present in 81.25% of the study population, while fixed dental prostheses were found in 31.25% of the population. Calculus was present in the entire population. The observations also revealed the presence of exogenous dental staining, tooth loss and dental fractures. Discussion: The study suggests a change in German health policy between World War I and World War II. Greatly improved medical systems were put in place, notably with the organisation of German military dentistry from 1933 onwards, contributing to the health of military personnel to enable them to contribute more effectively to the war