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Twelve members of the 55th Dental Squadron participated in the Green River Area Wellness Mission, 2024 Innovative Readiness Training June 13-27, 2024, in Henderson, Kentucky.
Members of the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves joined forces to provide medical, dental, optometry, and veterinary services to the civilian population.
The dental professionals were able to provide over 650 civilian patients with care they otherwise may not have received. The value of the 3,000 procedures they completed during the training was $420,000. Personnel completed approximately 1,900 hours of training during the two-week long mission.
While they brought real-world treatment to locals, they also exercised deployment procedures using a mobile dental system set up at South Middle School. The lead component, the ANG members, also provided education and training on basic life support and Tactic Combat Casualty Care.
“For us the training was centered around providing dental care in an austere environment,” said Lt Col. Coleman Christensen, deputy program director, Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency, 55th Dental Squadron. “It was a great opportunity to practice expeditionary dental care and to be ready for the next conflict; providing care in an Area of Responsibility in a tent, hardened facility, or outdoors.”
Even with the skill level of the dental personnel, they still experienced some challenges during the training.
“There is definitely a learning curve in using different equipment and materials than what we are used to,” said Coleman. “Especially while maintaining patient safety standards while doing so.”
Coleman said there was a great need for dental care and dental treatment was the most requested service. Dental professionals were able to enhance skills in utilizing mobile dentistry equipment in procedures, as extreme as tooth extraction of erupted teeth, on a diverse patient population.
This training also allowed active-duty technicians to conduct on-the-job training for guard and reserve members who are not dental technicians in the civilian sector.
"I was truly impressed with our innovative, flexible and very skilled Airmen,” said Coleman. “Specifically, our technicians, as many of them are bilingual. Their skills were highly sought after and made for a highly successful mission.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2024 16:41 |
| Story ID: | 483169 |
| Location: | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, NEBRASKA, US |
| Hometown: | HENDERSON, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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