Dyess Dental Clinic goes mobile for swing, mid-shift workers

Photo By Airman 1st Class Alondra Cristobal Hernandez | U.S. Air Force Capt. Gabriel Duffy, 7th Operations Medical Readiness Squadron dental flight dentist, and Senior Airman Kyra Hensen, 7th OMRS dental flight dental assistant, perform a dental exam on Airman 1st Class Kyle Vandergriff, 317th Aircraft Maintenance electrical and environmental technician, in the Mobile Dental Clinic at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Nov. 30, 2023. This new Mobile Dental Clinic capability allows patients to cut down on the amount of time spent away from their duty sections for dental exams as well as operating in an environment and time that works best for the patient. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alondra Cristobal Hernandez)  

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TX, UNITED STATES

11.30.2023

Story by Airman 1st Class Alondra Cristobal Hernandez 

7th Bomb Wing

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Members of the 7th Operational Medical Readiness
Squadron dental flight 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.

• Date Taken: 11.30.2023
• Date Posted: 12.13.2023 10:47
• Story ID: 459516
• Location: DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TX, US