Tri-Service Dental Symposium Embodies Joint-Service Collaboration

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, UNITED STATES

Story by Macy Hinds

Naval Health Clinic Hawaii

As the Military Healthcare System transitions to the Defense Health Agency (DHA), all Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) will be standardized, integrated, and overseen by DHA to ensure efficient delivery of quality healthcare across the services. The concept is not new to Hawaii MTFs. In fact, military healthcare in Hawaii has already been operating as a joint collaborative entity the past few years. One example, is the Tri-Service Dental Symposium that was recently held and hosted by Naval Health Clinic Hawaii.

The Tri-Service Dental Symposium took place Sept. 24-26, 2019 at the Ford Island Conference Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The symposium brought together military dental personnel, which include dentists, hygienists, and dental staff, to supply an opportunity to gain continuing education (CE) credit and build connections.

The three-day symposium consisted of 11 speakers, 13 vendors, and attendees from the Navy, Army and Air Force. Between lectures, attendees had the opportunity to network with fellow dental personnel and vendors to learn about new, innovative technologies and advancements in the dental world.

Lieutenant Commander Dustin A. Bond, a Navy dentist at Makalapa Branch Health Clinic said, “The event provides a great opportunity to meet with dental vendors, build connections among military dentists, build camaraderie, and learn from one another which can lead to enhancements.”

Bond is the dental training officer in charge of planning the annual symposium this year. While the Navy hosted this year’s symposium, the different military services take turns hosting and bring new speakers and expertise to the symposium each year. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the event.

Topics change yearly to attract new interest and keep returning attendees coming back. This year, the topics included, “Planning for Resistance: Comprehensive Treatment Planning for Single Crowns,” “Orthodonics in a Digital World,” “Innovations in Periodontics and Implant Therapy,” and “The Pathophysiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea,” among many others.

The wide range of symposium speaker topics allow dental staff from a variety of backgrounds to learn from experienced subject matter experts and earn CE credits.

“CE are required by most states to maintain professional credentials and state licensure,” said Bond. “Depending on the state, {requirements} range from 0-100 hours, {with an} average of 31.16 hours required.”

Fulfilling requirements can be expensive and difficult, especially for dental staff in isolated locations such as Hawaii.

The three-day, 11-lecture event promoted joint-service cohesiveness and cooperation. Such collaboration is essential as the military healthcare system began transitioning to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Oct. 1, 2019.