• Andres M Mendoza, Yann J Rodenas, and Brittany K Eidson.
• AMEDD Captains Career Course, Medical Center of Excellence, San Antonio, TX 78234, USA.
• Mil Med. 2023 Nov 3; 188 (11-12): e3416e3422e3416-e3422.

IntroductionWisdom teeth are a frequent cause for dental disease and nonbattle injuries (D-DNBIs) during expeditionary deployments. Improved diagnosis and timely treatment before deployment can reduce the need to evacuate a D-DNBI while in a theater. This study proposed key identifiers to diagnose wisdom teeth as Dental Readiness Classification (DRC) 3.Materials And MethodsThis study was a retrospective chart review conducted to measure concurrence among Army dentists when assigning DRC for wisdom teeth. This study also recorded demographic data and physical findings among the observed patients. Concurrence, or inter-rater reliability, was measured using Cohen's kappa (κ).ResultsA Cohen's κ of 0.04 suggested that there was no concurrence among Army dental providers in the diagnosis of wisdom teeth. The study concluded that caries and pericoronitis accounted for 37% and 13% of class 3 nondeployable troops, respectively. Forty-one percent of tobacco users had caries. Fifty-eight percent of the population was diagnosed as DRC 3.ConclusionsThis study proposed DRC 3 criteria for wisdom teeth and measured concurrence among dental providers' diagnoses. Dental Readiness Classification 3 criteria include caries, pericoronitis, infection, and pathology. A Cohen's κ of 0.04 indicated there was a lack of concurrence in examining dentists compared to the DRC 3 criteria. Caries and pericoronitis were the most frequent diagnoses for third molars. Early diagnosis and treatment of these key identifiers can help reduce a significant source of D-DNBIs in the deployed environment.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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