Lieutenant Ryan Twaddle (right), Branch Health Clinic (BHC) dentist aboard Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC), consults with Lt. Jensen Lau, a reserve dentist from 4th Dental Battalion out of Houston, on Aug. 22. Twaddle, who recently arrived here, will attend to the dental needs of Navy Region Korea that was without a full-time dentist in a long time. (Photo by Lt.Cmdr. Hien Vu)
Hold the press! For the first time in a long time, the Branch Health Clinic (BHC) of U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Yokosuka aboard Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC) has a full-time dentist. Lieutenant Ryan Twaddle recently arrived here to attend to the dental needs of the base.
A native of Lisle, Ill., Twaddle graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. He decided to join the Navy because “the Navy offers the ability to travel, to work with and learn from people from all over,” he said. “That is much more exciting than going to and from the same office for the rest of my life. My philosophy is not to allow fear to prevent you from traveling alone. The regret from trips not taken will outweigh the fear of taking the first step.”
To that end of pursuing a career in medicine and a globetrotting lifestyle, he applied for and was accepted into the competitive Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), graduating in 2019 with a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
The newly-minted dentist’s first duty station was Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Great Lakes, which suits him well as he grew up just outside of Chicago. “I wanted to see where every Sailor started their Navy career,” said Twaddle. “It helped that the 30,000 recruits every year provided a depth of patient cases to advance my professional skills.”
Twaddle’s overseas wanderlust began on a ship. “As soon as COVID started, I was asked to hot-fill orders on USS Ashland (LSD 48), homeported in Sasebo, Japan,” he recounted. “I hadn’t expected I would ever practice dentistry on a ship, but by May 2020, I was underway. It was an incredible experience managing my own clinic, training technicians, cross-decking with an Australian ship, and being directly involved in Navy operations.”
After practicing alone for two years at sea, and eager to expand his professional experience, the seasoned, salty dentist wanted to go to a hospital setting with a larger team. He joined U.S. Naval Hospital Rota, Spain, whose team of dentists and specialists mentored him and helped further develop his dentistry and clinic management skill sets. “BHC Chinhae was a natural next step for me as I would apply my knowledge of clinic operations,” he said. “When I learned there was an opportunity to expand the dental capabilities here, I knew this was the place I needed to be.”
South Korea offers the fitness enthusiast just the experience he seeks. “I was looking to live in a new country to experience the food, culture, and language. South Korea fits the bill,” he said. “Every day as I run along the waterfront, people who run, bike, or walk say ‘hello’ to me. They are so kind and welcoming. I even picked up some basic phrases to better integrate with the community.”
As for future plans, he is working toward a two-year residency in Comprehensive Dentistry in the Washington, D.C. area. “This program is a master class in all specialties to prepare dental officers for single dentist operational billets,” explained Twaddle. “Eventually, I see myself assigned to an aircraft carrier, a Marine unit, and back in Europe. I want to make the most of every experience.”
For now, Twaddle is where he is most needed. “I am expanding the clinic’s dental services to meet the needs of our service members and their dependents. I am also a sexual assault prevention response (SAPR) victim advocate (VA), which is not a collateral duty but a way of life for me. Victim Advocates set an example and must be a present, approachable resource for the community. It’s unique to be a male-officer VA, and I lean into that uniqueness to remind everyone that sexual assault can happen to everyone. If you need me, I have the time for you.”
