Bel Blesa, AlejandroHernández Donadeu, MartaFlores Fraile, JavierGómez Salgado, JuanEl Khoury Moreno, LuisTorrejón Martínez, JulioRosel Gallardo, EvaRibas Pérez, DavidCastaño Seiquer, Antonio2026-01-192026-01-192025Bel-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. (2025). Dental health as a determinant of operational readiness in military populations: Evidence from Ceuta (Spain). Medicine, 104(50), e46380. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.00000000000463800025-79741536-5964 (electrónico)https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27711The 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.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Dental fitnessMilitary personnelOral healthPeriodontal diseasePreventive dentistryjournal article10.1097/MD.0000000000046380open access32 Ciencias Médicas