- Joined
- Mar 20, 2010
- Location
- Ohio
Civil War Dentist examines a soldier’s teeth. Courtesy Association of Army Dentistry, San Antonio, TX.
Back then, routine dental care did not exist, and many people in their late teens and 20s were missing several teeth. If a recruit could not open the gun powder cartridge with his teeth, he would not be able to reload quickly, placing himself and his fellow soldiers at greater risk.
So, while evaluating new registrants, a dental exam was performed to see if each young man had at least four front teeth. The dentist would examine the young man and evaluate the front teeth (or lack thereof). Those young men without four front teeth were disqualified and not permitted to enlist.
Naturally, a “code” was needed to designate why the registrant was unfit for service. So someone (presumably a Union Officer) came up with:
4-F (lacks 4 Front Teeth)
And from that point forward, the term 4-F was used in this manner. http://directionsindentistry.net