Action Line 70502 – Dental Clinic

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39 Air Base Wing
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  

Complaint:

 

For the past three months I have had an ongoing battle with the Dental Clinic at Incirlik Air Base, and all I'm trying to do is get my yearly teeth cleaning. I am a dependent and that seems to be the first problem in my battle.

 

My yearly teeth cleaning was due in March of 2007. I called the Dental Clinic in March and was told that active-duty military took priority over dependents for teeth cleanings. The clinic proceeded to tell me to call on April 1 to schedule an appointment because the month of March was booked.

That was fine. I understand that active-duty military comes first. I called the clinic on April 1 to make my appointment, only to discover that they had no records for me. I arrived at Incirlik in May of 2006 and hand-delivered my records to the clinic as told to do so during in-processing. Apparently the clinic did not believe this and told me they could not schedule an appointment for me until they had copies of my dental records. It took my active-duty husband calling the dental clinic and telling them the same thing--that my records were hand delivered to their office--for me to get an appointment in April, already one month overdue for a cleaning. A dentist did check my teeth in April, but the X-ray machine was broke so I had no X-rays taken. They told me to call on May 1 to schedule an appointment for the actual cleaning and X-rays. Oh, and they had not found my prior dental records.

 

It's now May 1 and I tried to schedule an appointment for a cleaning this morning--now two months overdue for my cleaning. Again, I was told that the month of May was booked and I needed to call back on June 1. I said, "No, I've already been examined and I was told to call today and schedule a cleaning." The Airman proceeded to tell me that active-duty military come first and they were booked through May. I said, "I need to speak to a supervisor." The Airman then told me, "Ma'am it's only a month late," and giggled. I proceeded to tell her, "that it's actually three months overdue and until someone denies you of medical care, don't be a smart aleck to me.

I want to speak to a supervisor." I was put on hold for about five minutes and then told that the supervisors were busy and they would call me back.

About an hour later, a supervisor, Sgt. McWaine, did call me back. He proceeded to tell me that active-duty military come first; they were backlogged for the month of May and could not schedule me until June. He proceeded to tell me that I could sign up for United Concordia insurance, which would pay for me to see a Turkish dentist off base, or I could call the dental clinic every day and see if there are any cancellations, or I could sit in the dental clinic waiting room all day and may possibly be seen if there is a cancellation. Because he was courteous to me and explained my options, I thanked him, but did let him know that the Airmen answering the phone could work on their customer service instead of rudely telling me to call back in a month. Why couldn't they have told me other options? Why did I have to demand to speak to a supervisor?

 

My real point here is this--I was invited by the U.S. Air Force to accompany my active-duty husband here. I was told that I would receive adequate medical care, including optical and dental, unless it was an emergency case, in which I may have to be treated in Adana or Germany. A teeth cleaning is NOT an emergency or even a special situation. There is no reason that I should have to wait three months to receive a teeth cleaning at this base or find a Wingman to take me to an off-base dental clinic for a teeth cleaning.

If the Dental Clinic is so backlogged with patients why don't they extend their hours or work on Saturdays to "catch up" like many of the other squadrons on this base. There are nights that my husband works until 8 p.m.

and weekends that I don't even see him OR all of our Airmen that work around the clock who are deployed. I understand that active-duty military are a priority at this base. I'm the first one in line at the BX or commissary to allow a military person in uniform in front of me. I get it. My active-duty husband is more important to this base than I am, BUT I will not tolerate being treated like a second-class citizen when it involves my healthcare.

It's funny how every important military person on this base always says that dependents are the backbone to a good Airman, yet we're treated as if we don't exist. Bottom line is, if you can't clean my teeth once a year on time--don't invite me to live at your base for two years. And, for that matter, what does it say about the Medical Group here at Incirlik?

 

Oh, and another thing, even after talking to a supervisor and writing this action line--I still don't have an appointment for a teeth cleaning. Your help would be appreciated.

 

Response:

 

Wow, I fully understand your frustration which we could have helped to avoid if we had merely sat down and spent some time fixing your individual problem.  By the time you get this response, we should have also contacted you to work specific options for your cleaning.  You were right to engage the supervisor and in fact we also have a patient advocate office that can help as well; they love fixing problems.  I am sorry that you feel you were treated like a second class citizen and please rest assured you are not, but I understand we have a ways to go in proving it to you.  Now, please permit me the opportunity to explain that our dental support is manned for the active duty member population and attempts to see the dependent population on a space available basis.  This is why we encourage our dependents to remain with United Concordia/TRICARE dental so they can get dental care off-base which is really quite good.  We can help you out with referrals.  The idea of extending our dental support hours is like stretching a rubber-band, the fact is the rubber-band is already stretched and will only break if stretched more.  We only have one technician qualified and trained to clean teeth.  We are currently undermanned with our dental technician staffing and expect to see improvement in the fall.  Due to our constrained manning, it is vitally important that non-active duty family members call the dental clinic each month to determine if space is available.  In turn we can and will do a better job of working with you to address your concerns and promptly identify viable scheduling options.  Please accept my sincere apology and know that we'll work on our customer service skills.