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Postgraduate dental school and clinic opens

Airman 1st Class Chelsey Huff, Maj. Gens. Gerard Caron and Byron Hepburn and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Robinson (left to right) cut the ribbon in front of the new Air Force Postgraduate Dental School and Clinic at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, June 20. The school is the Air Force flagship for dental education and specialty services. Huff is a dental assistant for the 59th Dental Training Squadron and Caron is the assistant surgeon general for Dental Services and commander of the 79th Medical Wing. Hepburn is the director of the San Antonio Military Health System and commander of the 59th Medical Wing. Robinson recently retired as the command chief of the 59th Medical Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Courtney Moses)

New Air Force dental school, clinic dedicated

Published June 26, 2012
By Linda Frost
59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- A new state-of-the art facility here dedicated to training military dentists in advanced specialties and serving as a worldwide referral center has officially opened its doors.

During an early morning outdoor ceremony to avoid the Texas heat, military leaders dedicated the Air Force Post Graduate Dental School and Clinic June 20. More than 200 guests got a full view of the modern $38 million building, the Air Force's flagship dental school, located adjacent to Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center.

The 56,000 square foot facility, which replaces the aging MacKown Dental Clinic, is known for its Maxillofacial Prosthetics Fellowship program, the art of creating facial prosthetics to help wounded warriors with burns and injuries, cancer or birth defects. It also has the only stereolithography laboratory in the entire Air Force Medical Service, a three-dimensional process that makes prosthetics and implants from a computer image.

"This is a world-class facility. Our Airmen, our soldiers, our sailors, our marines and their children and spouses deserve nothing less. It demonstrates our commitment to excellence," said Maj. Gen. Byron Hepburn, commander, 59th Medical Wing.

"Most importantly, the professionals who will work here, both active duty and civilian, will deliver high quality, compassionate care to our beneficiaries for many years to come."

The AFPDS has one of the Air Force's largest dental laboratories and produces more than $1 million in annual workload. It has over 5,000 square feet of laboratory space and 69 dental treatment rooms.

According to Lt. Col Jeffery Casey, director of the Senior Resident Education and Training Program, the school also trains Army, Navy and Canadian Forces.

"It is the most advanced building for our residency education programs," he added.

"We train 85 percent of dental residents across the Air Force here, with six dental residencies and two fellowship programs within the 59th Dental Group," said Col. Steve Taylor, commander, 59th Dental Support Squadron.

The school is a branch campus of the Uniformed Services of the University Health Sciences, dedicated to maintaining education excellence.