Discharged for Defective Teeth

[The Guardroom]

After downloading my Gt Grandfathers record from the NA, it says he was discharged in 1908 with what looks like Defective Teeth ? It definately says defective Tee??.

He had signed on for 12 years but lasted only 4 years.

What was defective teeth and why would such a medical issue cause discharge to an otherwise healthy Sailor ?

It also says that he had 3 days in the cells at HMS Pembroke II which is a great snippet of info.

[Graham Stewart]

Probably is defective teeth and it was one of the biggest problems they had to face on the formation of Kitcheners New Armies with thousands of men rejected due to teeth problems. Dental care for the working classes was non-existant and well out of reach of the ordinary pay packet.

Graham.

[truthergw]

As Graham says, dental treatment for most workers was extraction. As a last resort. A soldier or sailor at the turn of the century with no teeth had a problem eating hard biscuits, an important part of the diet especially in the field. The army had doctors at the outbreak of war but no dentists. They were slow to employ them. It was easier all round either not to enlist men with bad teeth or get rid of those who developed them.

[mctaz]

I was just listening to a recording of an old fellow who'd been originally rejected for the AIF in 1915 because of bad teeth.

He tried again in 1916, by which time the standards had dropped, he was accepted, he made the comment that many of his friends had been rejected like him, he put the question.." Did they expect us to bite Fritz to death"... :-)

Jim

[stapeley]

HELLO THERE , Would it be true to say that the health test for the NAVY were less demanding than the ARMY ? I only ask because my Grandfather was in the Army reserves from 1912 till 1916 when he joined the NAVY . He was then discharged in 1918 for ill health! cheers colin