Last time I had stick figures in for Major Marino and Dr. Gant, so I got some action shots of them to include. From these pictures you can also see what a normal Army dental operatory and clinic looks like. Notice the large flat screen TV and the cool mural they have on the wall of the clinic.

What I didn’t take pictures of include:

The dental lab – Most dental labs are full service and can do most things in-house. Most of what is done depends on the skill level of the dental technician working there and the equipment available. Procedures done may include – crowns (gold and PFM), retainers, mouth guards, interim partial dentures (flippers).

Some labs may also do veneers and dentures. Most medium and large clinics will have a lab tech. If procedures are done in-house turn around time can be pretty quick – YMMV. Also dentists are usually expected to trim their own dies after they are sectioned and articulated.

Any procedure that can’t be done in-house is outsourced to the Army Dental Lab (ADL) in Georgia. There they can do anything found in private practice including all-ceramic crowns and bridges, and valplast dentures. We now have a tracking system in place so we are able to see the progress of our case if it is sent out. All cases sent to the ADL are sent and received by Fed-Ex overnight. Processing time at the ADL varies by the case. Average time for a crown/bridge can be anywhere from 4-6 weeks.

Supply room – usually pretty large and well stocked. We are not usually limited on what supplies can be ordered – it is usually coordinated through the officer-in-charge, supply officer, supply sergeant, and/or supply person (depends on how the clinic is set up). During certain times of the year, larger ticket items can be easier to get than at others – but I have never felt like I couldn’t provide quality treatment due to lack of materials.

Waiting room – usually very large, and has a wide screen TV.

Conference room – Every clinic will have a conference room that can be used for continuing education, clinic meetings, parties, or annual training.

Locker rooms – may or may not have a shower. If it doesn’t you will usually have a gym or other facility near by that does.

Office space – varies by clinic. Some clinics will have large cubical rooms. Others will have individual offices. Individual offices tend to get assigned by rank or position. They may be shared or private. In Hawaii I was in a large cubical room, in Richmond I shared an office, at Ft. Belvoir where I am once a week all the dentists have their own office for now.