DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of the 7th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron dental flight at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, conducted their first dental exams in the new Mobile Dental Clinic for swing and mid-shift members in the 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on November 30, 2023.
The dental clinic is promoting readiness by providing dental care to Airmen working swing and mid-shift hours, ensuring a medically ready and deployable force. This new mobile capability allows patients to decrease the amount of time spent away from their duty sections and an environment that works best for them.
“What we did is very important because it allows our mid-shifters and overnight workers easy access to dental exams, so they are not coming in early morning hours while they normally sleep,” said Capt. Gabriel Duffy, 7th OMRS dental flight general dentist. “It allows us to retain good dental readiness and see more patients.”
The Mobile Dental Clinic uses expeditionary mobilization equipment that most clinics don’t have to bring services directly to Airmen.
“The 317th Airlift Wing is the mobile lift that supports our teams from the other side. They take resources to places around the world that may not have as many resources,” said Senior Airman Tiffany O’Neal, 7th OMRS dental flight assistant. “The dental clinic is mobile also now and we are taking medical resources to units across base who need it during swing and mid-shift duty hours. Being capable of supporting 50 to 70 Airmen in the Mobile Dental Clinic allows for better readiness and is essential to keeping the base mission ready.”
This new Mobile Dental Clinic capability is lifting dental services to those who don’t work traditional duty hours and striking down on readiness standards. By creating mobile dental services, the dental clinic is creating a more lethal and combat ready force that is ready to provide Lift and Strike mission capabilities at a moment’s notice around the world.