Dental flight keeps Airmen on track to fight war on terrorism

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joel Mease
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) --  Flossing, brushing, eating healthy and leaving with a sparkling white smile are not the only things the 20th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron’s dental flight wants Airmen here to have gained after leaving the dentist's chair.

"Our goal is to have everyone leave here medically qualified for a deployment," said Lt. Col. Scott Schubkegel, dental flight commander.

The dental clinic here constantly strives to ensure more than 6,000 Airmen are in dental readiness Classes 1 or 2.

If an Airman is in Classes 3 or 4 they are not deployable, said Senior Master Sgt. Michael Price, dental flight superintendent.

An Airman in Class 3 is someone who could have a dental emergency within the next year, while an Airman in Class 4 is someone who has not been seen by the dental clinic in more than a year.

To help the Air Force keep potential mobility at a maximized, effective rate, the dental clinic here was asked to be among the first in the Air Force to participate in the dental care optimization program, Sergeant Price said. The program allows the dental clinic’s Airmen to be more productive with fewer people, he said.

One way they do this is by having four suites, which each handling certain squadrons.

"This allows the patient to continue seeing the same dental team each time they visit," Sergeant Price said.

Each suite now has an assigned team of dentists, hygienists and assistants.

"Implementing the program has increased our patient care by $1.6 million in productivity with fewer dentists on staff," Sergeant Price said.

By keeping goals, practicing good customer care and maximizing efficiency, the dental flight intends to maximize Shaw's deployment capability and help fight the war on terrorism.