John C. Greene

John C. Greene (July 19, 1926 – October 13, 2016) was an American dentist and public health administrator. He was a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States under President Carter from 1978 to 1981. He was the Acting Surgeon General from January to May 1981 under Ronald Reagan. He was the highest ranking non-physician public health officer in the history of the U.S. government.

Greene was known for his Oral Hygiene Index (with coauthor Jack Vermillion; Greene Vermillion 1960), which provided a systematic approach to quantifying bacterial plaque on teeth, his role in creating public policy for treating dental patients during the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s, and his work to prevent smokeless tobacco use among professional baseball players (Ernster et al. 1990).

Early life and education Greene was born in Ashland Kentucky, one of six children, to Norman and Ella Greene. Norman was a postal worker and farmer after retiring as a semi-professional baseball player.

Career Early career Greene served in the Public Health Service from the time he received his degree in 1961 until his retirement in 1981. and is known for his Oral Hygiene Index, which provided a systematic approach to quantifying bacterial plaque on teeth. The simplified version of this index is still used by the World Health Organization and in many countries around the world.

He was also a member of the National Cancer Institute Dental Tobacco-Free Steering Committee, and he chaired the International Association for Dental Research Committee on Tobacco.

Non-discrimination In his role as Dean of the UCSF School of Dentistry, Greene's leadership during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s led to worldwide adoption of non-discriminatory treatment of all patients regardless of sexual orientation and other potential risk factors.

Smokeless tobacco Greene's work with professional baseball players included annual dental check-ups during Spring Training. His finding confirmed a direct link between the use of smokeless (or spit) tobacco and oral cancer. During his time working with major league baseball he became a beloved figure to baseball players, in particular his home team, the San Francisco Giants.

He was an active leader in Marin Covenant Church in San Rafael, California, until his final years when mobility issues limited his ability to participate. The Award of Merit of the FDI World Dental Federation The Distinguished Service Award of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry The John Knutson Award of the American Public Health Association The American Dental Education Distinguished Service Award The Bill Tuttle Award for his work on smokeless tobacco The UCSF Medal The John C. Greene Endowed Chair