Creating smiles, one tooth at a time

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Desiree Economides
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Yokota Air Base, Japan --  The dentist... what's the first thing that comes to mind? For some, it's the grinding noise, the fluoride treatment or even the conversation about the importance of flossing. For those with more serious teeth issues, going to the dentist causes even more worry and concern.

Those patients at Yokota, however, can set their fear of a dental visit aside because the dental laboratory technicians of the 374th Dental Squadron are working hard to create flawless smiles.

"Our job is to ensure Airmen are able to maintain their dental readiness so they are worldwide deployable," said Tech. Sgt. Katherine Flores, 374 DS dental laboratory NCO in charge.

The dental lab makes a variety of fixed and removable prosthetics, ranging from crowns and bridges, to dentures, night guards and retainers.

"We play a very big role in patient care," said Senior Airman Adam Fowler, 374 DS dental laboratory technician. "We have a hand in making everything that goes into a patient's mouth."

Making a prosthetic or appliance specific to each patient requires a skilled hand, patience and attention to detail.

After receiving the impression of the patient's mouth from the dentist, the dental lab technicians pour the mold with dental stone to make a model. The models are then used to make various dental appliances.

For example, if making a gold crown, wax is added to the model and shaped by hand with small instruments. The wax is then encased in a stone mold and placed in an oven where the wax will eventually melt out. Gold is placed into the mold, producing the ideal gold crown.

Though the dental lab at Yokota does make gold crowns, it specializes in porcelain, two color crowns, caps and hard night guards. This keeps the lab busy making more than 1,500 crowns annually.

"The quantity of work the lab does isn't as important as the quality we do," said Flores. "Your smile is the first thing people see when you meet them. I always feel better knowing they are walking away with a quality product and a great smile."