Since June 1, 2026, the family members of soldiers assigned to Camp Zama have had to seek dental care from Japanese providers rather than the clinic at the headquarters of U.S. Army Japan. (U.S. Army)
Editor’s note: This story has been edited to add a Defense Health Agency statement clarifying that the change is temporary.
Families of soldiers assigned to the home of U.S. Army Japan near Tokyo must seek dental care off base as the command temporarily shifts limited clinic resources to support a growing active-duty population.
Since Monday, family members of Camp Zama’s active-duty soldiers have been required to schedule routine and elective dental appointments with Japanese providers rather than the installation’s dental clinic, according to a May 14 announcement from U.S. Army Garrison Japan.
“We expect to resume providing services to family members after the summer transition,” Defense Health Agency spokeswoman Naoko Kanda clarified by email Friday.
The garrison attributed the change, which does not impact other Army facilities in the country, to growth in the active-duty population and the departure of dental providers.
Emergency dental services for family members will continue, while routine care will be offered only on a space-available basis, Lt. Col. Michael Armstrong, deputy commander of dental services, told Stars and Stripes in an email Wednesday.
“Resources are available to help families find off-base dental providers, including those who speak English,” he wrote.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from military families.
“We recognize the mission comes first and with such large numbers of incoming soldiers, we understand the need to put them first,” Army spouse Juliet Williams told Stars and Stripes by Messenger on Monday. “However, family readiness is a must and can’t be put on the back burner.”
Others said they were prepared for the transition.
“We are given a variety of choices to go off base,” Estrella Alexander, another Zama spouse, said via Messenger on Monday. “We are not being left high and dry without any resources.”
The garrison encouraged families to use the Tricare Dental Program and review claim procedures before seeking care off base.
The change comes nearly a year after the Army deactivated Pacific Dental Health Command, transferring oversight of dental assets to installation medical facilities.
It also follows broader efforts by the Defense Department to shift some medical care in Japan away from military treatment facilities.
In 2022, the department reduced access to on-base health care for many U.S. civilian employees and their families. Two years later, it launched a pilot program designed to connect those workers with Japanese medical providers and help address a host of challenges, including language barriers, insurance claims and difficulties obtaining appointments.
Stars and Stripes reporter Seth Robson contributed to this report.
