A military spokesperson in the Canadian Army can access an enlisted soldier’s dental information, including medical and dental history, to conduct intelligence on the soldier’s health, according to a recent Army press release.
The information is obtained through a “unique, multi-layered, and secure method” that allows the spokesman to obtain information about the soldier without needing to obtain the soldier-specific medical records, the release said.
Dental information is collected by a military intelligence officer, the Army press released said.
The method is not unlike a medical document obtained through an autopsy, which is provided by a medical examiner’s office, the press release said, adding that the Army has been in the business of providing dental information for years.
The Army press also said the military can collect dental information without requiring a warrant.
The military can use the dental information to identify the individual that is “most likely to pose a threat” to the soldier, the statement said.
The release did not mention what information the military has access to regarding an individual’s health.
The release does not specifically address whether the Army can obtain dental information on soldiers without obtaining a warrant, but the issue has been raised in the past.
The U.S. Army recently announced it would be removing a requirement that dental records be kept by military intelligence officers for up to a year after the information is requested, according, to a statement by the U. S. Army in response to a query from CBC News.