4th Dental Battalion prepares for Dover IRT

DOVER, DE, UNITED STATES

06.10.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Frans Labranche 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

DOVER, Del. – Marines and Sailors with 4th Dental Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, and members of the Army, Navy and Air Force are meeting here this week to solidify plans for an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) project that will take place this summer.
The Central Delaware Housing Collaborative applied and was selected to be the site of an IRT project that will bring dental, medical and other public health services to those in need in the area.
The sailors of 4th Dental Battalion will be leading the charge on the dental front with expedient clinics set up at North Dover Elementary, Towne Point Elementary and South Elementary schools.
“We’ll be doing basic fillings, simple extractions, dental cleanings, nutritional counseling, oral hygiene instructions, sometimes something as simple as prescribing medication,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Cook, project dental officer-in-charge. “We’re problem focused, so when someone comes in with a tooth ache, we do a limited exam and find out what’s going on with it and if it’s a relatively easy extraction, we’ll do that.”
As with other IRT projects, the local community will benefit while service members receive hands-on training experience in a joint environment. For Sailors of 4th Dental Battalion, they will gain valuable experience in setting up dental clinics in remote locations.
“The whole point of this training is understanding what it’s like to mobilize to a remote location and set up a dental clinic there,” said Cook. “This is a great training opportunity for us to do that. Our sites are elementary schools.”
Once those problems are tackled, the residents of Dover will reap the rewards.
“The patients that we treat in the IRT are members of the local civilian population, which is a really unique aspect,” Cook said. “It is really cool that they are able to allow us to do that, to take care of our own folks here at home, or at least those that could use some assistance.”
Patients in the area can receive services August 1st through August 9th.

• Date Taken: 06.10.2021
• Date Posted: 06.15.2021 11:25
• Story ID: 398575
• Location: DOVER, DE, US