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Introduction: The “Iron Swords” war began with a Hamas attack on Israel, leading to
significant civilian fatalities and over 800 military fatalities. This conflict necessitated
the full deployment of Unit 6017, the Israel Defense Forces casualty identification unit,
responsible for both casualty identification and medical investigation. While existing
literature predominantly focuses on the ethical aspects of casualty identification
in civilian contexts or mass disasters, this article uniquely explores the ethical
considerations specific to Unit 6017’s operations during the “Iron Swords” war,
including integrating medical investigation with standard bioethical concerns.

Method: The article reviews the medical, ethical, and operational principles guiding
the casualty identification process and investigating death circumstances, using Unit
6017’s role in the “Iron Swords” war as a case study.

Findings: Unit 6017 operates under medical ethics principles, such as respect for the
deceased and the family’s rights, while also adhering to IDF values. This necessitates
medical investigations that may delay funerals and pose risks to the unit in complex
situations.

Discussion: The unit’s work involves balancing ethical principles with military
obligations, particularly in difficult situations related to medical investigations,
informed consent, staff safety, and timely burial.
Summary: This article examines how Unit 6017 navigated the ethical complexities of
its dual role, balancing bioethical considerations with military requirements during
the “Iron Swords” war.

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Background: Mandibular third molar extraction is a
common operation in dento-maxillofacial surgery.
However, the use of cone-beam computed tomography
(CBCT) in addition to panoramic radiography to
evaluate the proximity of the mandibular third molar
to the mandibular canal to reduce the risk of damaging
the inferior alveolar nerve is controversial. This study
aimed to compare the capability of general practitioner
dentists (GPD) to assess the need for CBCT with that of
oral maxillofacial surgeons (OMS).
Methods: We retrospectively selected and analyzed
100 panoramic radiographs that were performed to
determine the proximity to the mandibular canal of
roots of mandibular third molars requiring extraction.
The radiographs included 50 cases deemed by OMS to
require CBCT and 50 cases deemed not to require CBCT
based on the proximity of the root to the mandibular
canal. Three GPD evaluated the radiographs, and the
levels of agreement with the OMS as well as those
among themselves were by descriptive statistics and
Cohen's kappa coefficient.
Results: The Kappa agreement between each of the 3
GPD and the OMS were 0.6, 0.56, and 0.36. The average
number of cases that did and did not warrant CBCT was
65/100 and 35/100 for the GPD.
Conclusions: The values of agreement between the
GPD and the OMS regarding the indication for CBCT
in mandibular third molar extractions were very low.
Focused training in GPD in interpreting and assessing
CBCT findings is strongly recommended.

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Background: Dental phobia is a common phenomenon. It is estimated that around
one in ten people experience a significant level of dental fear and, as a result, avoid
dental care treatment. It is reported that 17% of IDF recruits showed a high level
of dental fear. This article aims to briefly review the current academic knowledge
of dental fear and anxiety and how hypnosis is a key instrument in treating phobic
patients through a series of case reports.

Methods: Overall review of dental anxiety and retrospective case reports of three
soldiers who had dental phobia and could finally be treated thanks to hypnosis after
years of neglect.

Results: As shown in three case reports, hypnosis can be a very useful tool for dentists
in order to treat patients with dental anxiety. After hypnosis, patients could finish
entire complicated treatment plans and experience success, which enabled them to
even overcome their phobia.

Conclusions: Hypnosis in treating patients with dental anxiety has a very high success
rate, allowing patients to overcome dental fear and complete dental treatment plans
without using pharmacological medications. Since the October 7, 2023 terrorist
attack, we assume that more soldiers will suffer from dental phobia, and therefore,
it is important to establish a special dental center that can provide dental treatments
under hypnosis and help patients improve their quality of life.

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Background: Traditional clinical dental examinations
are resource intensive, creating a need for efficient
screening tools, especially in large populations. This
study retrospectively evaluates the reliability of a self
assessment questionnaire aiming to identify individuals
with high dental morbidity and assess the urgency of
dental care.
Methods: As part of a limited time project, a
questionnaire focusing on reported symptoms and
medical history was administered to 121 female
soldiers aged 18-21 via mobile devices. Based on their
responses, participants were categorized into “low” or
“high” severity risk groups. All individuals identified as
high risk were invited for clinical dental examinations,
along with low risk participants who requested a dental
examination. In this study, we retrospectively analysed
the data collected during the project by comparing the
severity levels predicted by the questionnaire with the
findings from the clinical assessments.
Results: We found a significant correlation between
predicted and actual severity levels according to the
Chi-Square Pearson test. While clinically 78.5% of the
patients had a low severity dental condition, 73% of
actual high severity cases were correctly predicted,
enhancing the efficiency of prioritizing high risk
patients. Also, examining patients with predicted high
severity levels is shown to increase the chances of
treating a patient with high severity conditions. Analysis
of individual questions revealed varying effectiveness,
with some questions showing higher predictive value
for high severity conditions.
Conclusions: The questionnaire shows promise for
initial triage in large-scale screenings, and it can
effectively predict dental health severity, particularly
in identifying high risk cases. Hence this tool can
help improve treatment effectiveness and resource
allocation in dental care. Combining self assessments

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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted medical practices, necessitating
adaptations in dental clinics. This study examines pandemic-induced changes in
patient utilization of dental services to help practitioners respond effectively to future
public health crises. Understanding these trends can inform healthcare planning.
Dentists face high risks of infection, creating challenges in balancing dental care,
particularly preventive and non-urgent procedures, with exposure prevention. This
study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on monthly appointments at military dental
clinics in Israel, comparing pre-pandemic data with different waves of the outbreak.
Data on patient visits from January 2020 to December 2021 were analyzed using
descriptive statistics. During the pandemic’s peak, monthly emergency dental visits
declined as COVID-19 cases rose, likely due to government prevention measures. Over
time, as lockdowns eased and perceptions of infection risks changed, dental visits
increased. By the end of the first wave, visit numbers returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite this recovery, prioritizing preventive and restorative treatments is crucial for
maintaining oral health. Future crises require meticulous planning, clear guidelines,
and proper regulation of dental care to ensure efficient practitioner response and
continued patient access to essential services.