Collocated with the 22 Area Group Aid Station and MAG 39 Medical Detachment, the Chappo Dental Clinic is a very busy facility. The patient population is drawn from 22 and 23 Area personnel and a majority of personnel attached to the Air Wing and Air Station, totaling over 5000 patients. With the addition of a newly completed hygiene room (for cleanings and exams) and a mini lab, clinical capabilities have been expanded to include oral surgery, root canals, restorations (fillings) and single crowns and some bridges.
For more extensive treatment, patients are referred to the 13 Area Clinic and occasionally to Naval Dental Center, San Diego or Naval Hospital Balboa. The periodontist (gum specialist) from the 13 Area Clinic has recently begun traveling to outlying clinics to aid in the referral of patients for periodontal treatment, minimizing delays in care. To aid in the treatment of all our patients the Mobile Dental Van is often scheduled at the airfield or on the nearby grinder.
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