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By Staff Sgt. Mary Rose
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - Troops don't have to wait until they get home to get good dental care. Dental needs on the front lines are a priority for an airborne medical company currently deployed to Iraq.
The 257th Medical Company (Dental Services) from Fort Bragg, N.C., with support from other units and individuals, operate dental clinics throughout the southern half of Iraq. The unit currently manages clinics at Camp Liberty, Camp Taji, Forward Operating Base Echo, Tallil Airbase, the International Zone in Baghdad and Camp Bucca.
Not all of these clinics provide the exact kind of care as others, but between them, they can do just about everything but orthodontics, said Staff Sgt. Darrell Ramsay, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the Liberty Dental Clinic here.
At the Liberty Dental Clinic they perform sick call procedures in the morning and schedule routine appointments in the afternoon.
"We provide emergency treatments, extractions, fillings, bridges, crowns and what a normal patient would need," said Capt. Miguel Martinez, a dentist from 3rd Medical Command.
The dental clinic also provides night guards for teeth grinding purposes and dental prosthetic work, according to Ramsay, a native of Clearwater, Fla. Ramsay said his clinic provides service to approximately 30 patients a day.
"Our main mission is to see coalition troops, but we see anyone who walks in the door," he said. Ramsay added that active duty troops have priority in the clinic and won't be turned away.
The primary mission for these clinics is caring for troops, but they don't stop with troops. The clinics also provide services to civilians and third-country nationals, said Martinez, a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Martinez said it feels very much like being back at home working in the dental clinic here because of all the state-of-the-art equipment in the clinic, but there is one difference.
"The only difference here is that we are away from our family," said the expecting father of twin baby boys. Even with two babies on the way, the service he is able to provide the troops in Iraq is very important to him, Martinez said.
"The work I do is important for the Soldiers to accomplish the mission," he said. "When they come in and tell me, 'I was out last night and my tooth was killing me,' and I fix it and they are out again doing their mission the next day. It definitely feels good."
There are dentists waiting to assist in keeping teeth healthy while deployed, but Ramsay says there are things that troops can do to help prevent the need to seek dental care.
When traveling on the roads throughout Iraq, Ramsay suggests troops wear mouth protectors, like the ones athletes wear. This will prevent teeth from getting broken or knocked-out due to the environment. He added that it is important for troops to brush their teeth on a regular basis.
If a dental emergency does arise and the local dental clinic is not open, Soldiers should see their Troop Medical Clinic for assistance.
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2007 14:34 |
| Story ID: | 8986 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 163 |
| Downloads: | 99 |
This work, Dental Care Available for Deployed Troops, by MSG Mary Rose Mittlesteadt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
