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“They use twigs [as toothbrushes], which although not ideal, is all they have”


33 Field Hospital’s role is to deliver


and provide deployed hospital care in any environment, and the unit has recently completed operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. So far Orianne has not been deployed on a military operation, but the association with 33 Field Hospital did bring with it the opportunity to take part in Exercise ASKARI Serpent, a training exercise to east Africa which she describes as “the best experience I’ve had so far in the Army”. “I got to lead two dental teams on an exercise


to Kenya. We spent four weeks on a hearts and minds medical exercise, visiting remote rural villages and setting up a mobile (tented) primary healthcare unit. We delivered much-needed free healthcare to hundreds of locals alongside a team of regular and reservist doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors and other allied healthcare professionals, such as paramedics, pharmacists and combat medical technicians.” Going out on the exercise, Orianne had no


idea what issues they were going to come up against. One of the first was language, a hurdle crossed with the help of the Kenyan Red Cross, who provided the team with translators. Another was the fact that many of the patients she came across had never actually used a toothbrush. “They do, however, use twigs which although not ideal is all they have.” It was a very different experience to working in the UK but she relished the challenge. “I treated over 200 patients in the space of eight working days, and extracted more teeth than I care to remember. But I will never forget a young warrior called ‘Military’, aged between 13 and


OPPOSITE: Major Orianne Moxon (left) with dental nurse Lance Corporal Anna Cole on exercise in Kenya. TOP: Orianne treats Kenyan patients in a field dental surgery set up inside a tent. ABOVE: People travel considerable distances and form long queues to receive dental treatment.


16, who walked over two hours in the blistering heat, through the bush on his own, to come and see us – we saw elephants walking free across the very same roads he had walked not 24 hours later!”


Go for it By Orianne’s own admission she had always thought the Army might be the place for her, and her seven years so far have been packed with interesting experiences both inside and outside dentistry. She has no regrets about her decision to “walk into the arms of the RADC” and passionately encourages trainee dentists thinking about a similar career not to hesitate.


“Go for it!” is her advice. “There are opportunities with both the regulars and the reserves, but do your research as to what suits you. The career options aren’t just for new dentists either – qualified dentists, including dentists with specialist interests and beyond, can apply to join the RADC too. “Oh, and make sure you can run a mile and a half in under 10.5 minutes, and get practising the sit-ups and press-ups!”


Adam Campbell is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to MDDUS publications


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