Dental Division provides crucial support

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Timothy Taylor
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Medical Group Dental Division provides crucial support to the base by ensuring Incirlik's Airmen are ready to deploy by exceeding U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Incirlik's goal for deployment readiness. Currently, over 98 percent of 39th Air Base Wing Airmen are dentally qualified to go down range.

"Our job here at the Dental Division is readiness, that's our number one mission," said Maj. Son Vu, 39th Medical Group clinical general dentist.

The 39th Dental Division, along with the rest of the MDG, is gearing up for the upcoming Health Services and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care inspections. The HSI and AAAHC are the Medical Group's equivalent to the 2007 Unit Compliance Inspection. The Dental Division has been spending its share of Saturdays buckling down so they can earn the highest rating on the inspection.

"The HSI and the AAAHC inspections are when medical experts come into our Dental Division and evaluate us on 'how we do business' and how we maintain and prepare our Airman's dental health for deployment readiness," said Major Vu.

"The installation can really help out by ensuring all Airmen attend their Physical Health Assessment and dental exams and come in and sign their Notification of Privacy Practices documents on their records," said Major Vu. "Having all of the Airmen in Dental Readiness Class 1 and 2 ensures readiness and can then be monitored through the Air Force Dental Readiness program."

Most people know that officers perform the drilling and most advanced procedures beyond your regularly scheduled cleanings, but few know the hard work and dedication that is being put forward by the clinic's enlisted Airmen.

The 39th Dental Division is currently undermanned with non-commissioned officers, so as a result more responsibilities have been placed on the younger Airmen who oversee and take charge of a lot of dental programs traditionally run by NCOs.

"I can't be more impressed with how they all stepped up with their additional duties to help prepare for our upcoming inspections," said Major Vu.

In addition to caring for patients, the clinic is also frequently involved with educating the Incirlik community on preventative dental care. During children's dental health month, they educate families on dental hygiene, cavity prevention and decalcification.

"By educating the community about dental hygiene we don't have to take corrective measures, so when they're ready for their exam it will be a standard cleaning, not filling in cavities," said Major Vu.

For more information regarding Access to Dental Care, please contact the Dental Clinic at x6104