In the 1940s, the federal government created the National Institute for Dental Research in response to a pressing need: young men with an insufficient number of opposing teeth. World War II draftees were failing their physical examinations due to inadequate choppers, which was a combat concern because young soldiers needed strong opposing teeth when, say, pulling grenade pins. The institute, renamed the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in 1998, now conducts much more research with relevance to systemic conditions.