Luke | 56th MDG Dental Clinic keeps Airmen smiling Published Aug. 8, 2023 By Airman 1st Class Jakob Hambright 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – For Airmen across the 56th Fighter Wing, maintaining readiness is a constant duty to fulfill. The 56th Medical Group dental clinic helps ensure that Airmen not only keep a healthy smile but also stay combat-ready. The 56th MDG dental clinic serves over 90,000 beneficiaries, including Airmen, retirees, and their families. As part of the 56th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, the dental clinic provides services such as preventive dentistry, periodontics, and other specialized services. Airman 1st Class Fatima Jamir, 56th OMRS dental assistant, frequently works with the impression lab, which creates diagnostic models of a patient’s mouth for several applications. “The clinic has a wide use of the impressions we take,” said Jamir. “They can create items such as retainers, dental reconstructions, and even mouth guards for patients who play sports.” Apart from impressions, dental technicians can also be tasked with sterilization, where dental instruments are prepared for use, inside tool kits. “We work daily on sterilizing the tools that we may use with the patients,” said Kalee Dickey, 56th OMRS dental assistant. “After they are run through the sterilizer, we package them in individual kits that are then distributed through the clinic.” During deployments, dental services can be limited, and preventable emergencies can hinder an Airman’s contribution to the mission. The dental clinic contributes to Luke’s mission by ensuring that Airmen are fit and ready to fight before they deploy by providing the required care and treatment. For the Airmen of the 56th FW, it may seem like a simple dentist visit, but for the 56th MDG dental clinic, ensuring Airmen are mission-ready, is a top priority.