Dental health as a determinant of operational readiness in military populations: Evidence from Ceuta (Spain) Bel Blesa, Alejandro Hernández Donadeu, Marta Flores Fraile, Javier Gómez Salgado, Juan El Khoury Moreno, Luis Torrejón Martínez, Julio Rosel Gallardo, Eva Ribas Perez, David Castaño Séiquer, Antoni Dental fitness Military personnel Oral health The Spanish Armed Forces require optimal oral health to ensure operability during international missions. In a cross-sectional study with a sample of 691 military personnel, 17.66% were classified as temporarily unfit (NAT), predominantly among enlisted ranks (21.7%). Employment status and smoking showed significant associations with NAT (P < .000), while gender, age, and alcohol consumption were not significant factors. The decayed, missing filled teeth index, particularly its decayed component, was strongly related to NAT (P = .000). Periodontal disease presence and the need for multiple dental treatments significantly increased NAT prevalence (P < .000). Use of dental floss correlated with higher fitness, whereas mouthwash use was associated with increased NAT (P < .05). These findings highlight the importance of prevention and risk factor control to maintain oral fitness and ensure military personnel effectiveness during deployments. 2026-01-08T09:37:43Z 2026-01-08T09:37:43Z 2025-12-12 journal article Bel-Blesa A, Hernández-Donadeu M, Flores-Fraile J, Gómez-Salgado J, El Khoury-Moreno L, Torrejón-Martínez J, Rosel-Gallardo E, Ribas-Pérez D, Castaño-Séiquer A. Dental health as a determinant of operational readiness in military populations: Evidence from Ceuta (Spain). Medicine 2025;104:50(e46380). http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000046380 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/109306 10.1097/MD.0000000000046380 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc