31st Dental Squadron hosts Dental Give Back Day

ITALY

01.25.2019

Story by Airman 1st Class Caleb House 

31st Fighter Wing

The 31st Dental Squadron hosted a Dental Give Back day, Jan. 12, 2019 at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The squadron provided care for around 90 dependents and retirees.

“We get phone calls on a daily basis from dependents that want to be seen,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Joanna Stoyanova, 31st Dental Squadron general dentist.

Mission readiness for service members is the priority. This means often times the squadron can’t see as many dependents and retirees as it would like. A lot of them prefer to be seen on base but have to seek care off base.

“In order to get them the care that they wanted and have the benefits for, we have decided to do this volunteer day on a Saturday,” said Stoyanova.

People might feel like they come second to active duty at times. I think this can help the community morale, said Stoyanova.

Nearly the whole dental squadron volunteered that day. They provided exams, cleanings, x-rays and other dental care from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.        

This was the first time Stoyanova planned an event like this for the squadron.

“I was planning a much smaller event then everyone volunteered. It was great” said Stoyanova.

Appointment scheduling for Jan. 12 was offered two months prior to the event.

“We were pretty slammed,” said Stoyanova. “It was great. There was nobody sitting around doing nothing. Everybody was working hard.”

The squadron saw about the same amount of people during the half-day event as it does on a normal work day.

The squadron was excited to be there regardless of them having to work on their day off.

“Everybody was in a good mood. Everyone was upbeat. It was really contagious how positive, happy and eager to help everybody was.”

Many patients expressed the same positive feedback and showed appreciation for the event.

“This was just our way of saying you matter to us and we want to make sure you’re getting the care that you need,” said Stoyanova.

• Date Taken: 01.25.2019
• Date Posted: 01.31.2019 05:40
• Story ID: 308910
• Location: IT