Dental Staff and Facilities
Memphis VA Medical Center dental staff and facility information.
Program Director
The program has a full-time Director responsible for day-to-day administration. The Director, a general dentist certified by the American Board of General Dentistry, spends significant time with the residents in both clinical and educational components of the program. The Assistant Director, also a general dentist that has completed a GPR, is also heavily involved in both the clinical and didactic components of the program. Residents meet at least daily with the Director and/or Assistant Director to discuss the day's appointed patients and scheduled activities.
Attending Staff
On staff are eight full-time attendings: three general dentists, two oral and maxillofacial surgeons, two prosthodontists, and a periodontist. Completing the faculty roster are consultants in endodontics, oral pathology, and oral surgery.
Support Staff
The preventive dentistry program of the Dental Service is under the responsibility of two full-time dental hygienists. The Dental service has an in-house dental laboratory with two full time dental technicians. They provide full service laboratory support with the exception of the fabrication phase of removable partial denture frameworks, and alloy free ceramic crowns. The Central Dental Laboratory in Washington, DC provides support in these services. The residents work with a chairside dental assistant practicing four-handed dentistry in their own operatory.
Facilities and Equipment
The dental resident spends most of his/her time in the Dental Service Clinic. Clinic hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. A full complement of modern dental materials is available as well as rotary endodontic armamentarium. Within the clinic are 15 fully equipped modern operatories divided among the restorative clinic, oral surgery clinic, periodontic clinic, and oral hygiene. Digital periapical radiograph units are in each operatory as well as a state-of-the-art digital panorex. A reception area, conference room, waiting area, dental laboratory and resident office are also located within the clinic.