# § 8078. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery: Dental Corps; Chief; functions
**(a)** An officer of the Dental Corps shall be detailed as Chief of the Dental Corps.
**1** The Chief of the Dental Corps is entitled to the same privileges of retirement as provided for chiefs of bureaus in section 5133 [^1] of this title.
See References in Text note below.
**(c)** All matters relating to dentistry shall be referred to the Chief of the Dental Corps.
**(d)** The Chief of the Dental Corps shall—
**(1)** establish professional standards and policies for dental practice;
**(2)** initiate and recommend action pertaining to complements, strength, appointments, advancement, training assignment, and transfer of dental personnel; and
**(3)** serve as the advisor for the Bureau on all matters relating directly to dentistry.
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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 286, § 5138; Pub. L. 87–649, § 14c(17), Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 501; Pub. L. 96–513, title III, § 342, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2901; Pub. L. 97–86, title IV, § 405(b)(1), Dec. 1, 1981, 95 Stat. 1105; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, § 514(b)(1), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 628; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 593(a)–(d)(1), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2234; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 502(aa), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2105; renumbered § 8078, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(2), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5138 | 5 U.S.C. 456b. | Dec. 28, 1945, ch. 604, § 2, 59 Stat. 666. |
| | 5 U.S.C. 456c. | Dec. 28, 1945, ch. 604, § 3, 59 Stat. 666; Aug. 7, 1947, ch. 512, § 427, 61 Stat. 880; Oct. 18, 1951, ch. 513, 65 Stat. 450. |
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed by , , .
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 8078, , , provided that Air National Guard is component of Air Force when in service of United States, prior to repeal by , §§ 1661(a)(3)(A), 1691, , , 3026, effective . See .
### Amendments
2018— renumbered as this section.
2016—Subsec. (a). , struck out “not below the grade of rear admiral (lower half)” after “officer of the Dental Corps”.
Subsec. (c). , struck out first sentence which read as follows: “The dental functions of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery shall be defined and prescribed by Bureau directives, and if necessary by regulations of the Secretary of the Navy, so that all such functions are under the direction of the Dental Corps.”
2006—, substituted “Dental Corps” for “Dental Division” in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). , substituted “Chief of the Dental Corps” for “Chief of the Dental Division” and struck out first sentence which read as follows: “There is a Dental Division in the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.”
Subsec. (b). , substituted “Dental Corps” for “Dental Division”.
Subsec. (c). , substituted “shall be defined” for “shall be so defined” and “so that all such functions are” for “that all such functions will be”.
, substituted “Dental Corps” for “Dental Division” in first sentence and “the Chief of the Dental Corps” for “that Division” in second sentence.
Subsec. (d). , amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The Dental Division shall—
“(1) establish professional standards and policies for dental practice;
“(2) conduct inspections and surveys for maintenance of such standards;
“(3) initiate and recommend action pertaining to complements, appointments, advancement, training assignment, and transfer of dental personnel; and
“(4) serve as the advisory agency for the Bureau on all matters relating directly to dentistry.”
1985—Subsec. (a). substituted “rear admiral (lower half)” for “commodore”.
1981—Subsec. (a). substituted “commodore” for “commodore admiral”.
1980—Subsec. (a). substituted “not below the grade of commodore admiral” for “in the grade of rear admiral”.
1962—Subsec. (b). struck out “pay, allowances, and” after “entitled to the same”. See Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment
Amendment by effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .
### Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by effective , but the authority to prescribe regulations under the amendment by effective on , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1962 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services.