Prerequisites and development of Russian military dentistry

At present, the significant contribution of the Military Medical Academy to the formation and development of dentistry in Russia is little known, and its staff played a major role in the treatment of patients with maxillofacial wounds and dental problems in wartime and peacetime. This study aimed to present the main prerequisites for the development and stages of the formation of the Russian military dentistry. The Russian literature on the history of medicine, dentistry, and maxillofacial surgery was examined to create periodization and identify the main prerequisites for the development of military dentistry in Imperial Russia. The formation of military dentistry and maxillofacial surgery in Russia was closely connected with the development of domestic dentistry and surgery. By the beginning of the XVIII century, various Russian professionals were acting as “dentists,” that is, from a learned doctor and surgeon to a barber and a fairground charlatan. During this historical period, Emperor Peter I, who can rightfully be called the first undiplomated dentist in Russia, made important contribution to the formation of Russia dentistry. The development of dental care in Russia has not always been parallel with that of general medicine because dentistry, from its inception, has combined not only therapeutic and preventive but also esthetic and commercial aspects. Based on archived materials, no information is available about the existence of military dentistry in Russia until the middle of the XVIII century.