On the 1 April 2005 the Defence Dental Agency was renamed the Defence Dental Services, under leadership of its new Director, Brigadier Chris James. The disestablishment of the Defence Dental Agency as a Defence Agency was announced at the beginning of this year by the Under Secretary of State for Defence.

There will be no staff cutbacks as a result of the removal of Agency status. The Defence Dental Services will continue as a tri-Service military organisation, providing dental services to all members of the UK Armed Forces and those entitled civilians working for the military residing overseas, and will become more fully integrated within a coherent military healthcare delivery system.

Brigadier James and his staff will continue to operate from the Defence Dental Services headquarters at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire.

Pictured below, (on the left) the outgoing Chief Executive of the Defence Dental Agency, Major General John Gamon CBE QHDS, handing over to Brigadier Chris James QHDS the new Director of the Defence Dental Services.