The Toothwrights' Tale

Book excerpt: The Toothwrights' Tale tells the history of dentistry in the Royal Navy through the eyes of those who worked for the service, drawing on first-hand accounts. It begins at a time when technological advances were leading the world into a dangerous and uncertain era; nuclear proliferation, terrorism and interstate quarrels challenged policy makers and strategists. Born of such tensions was the Falklands Conflict in which no less than 14 RN dental officers were deployed in the ships of the Task Force and with the Royal Marines, and the book includes a number of gripping eyewitness accounts. The end of the Cold War gave momentary hope in 1989 for a more peaceful world but, within a couple of years, Operation Granby, the First Gulf War, introduced new military alliances and new military challenges.