By Senior Public Relations Specialist Tara Carey

Southcentral Foundation Dental has made many changes over the last year, and a fresh approach to pediatric oral surgeries is one of the newest improvements. Common pediatric dental rehabilitation services, wisdom teeth extractions, and oral surgeries are now held at the Alaska Native Medical Center Ambulatory Surgery Center near ANMC hospital.

SCF’s dental surgery process has not changed, but relocating most dental-related surgeries to a smaller surgery center makes the experience for customer-owners smoother. It is easier to access and takes less time to navigate through the smaller building which can be helpful for customer-owners and caregivers. A positive dental experience can impact oral health for a lifetime.

Children’s Dental Case Management Support, Geraldine Jones shared, “the move to utilize the Ambulatory Surgery Center increased the number of days designated for children’s oral surgery from three days a week to offering the surgeries five days a week. The number of customer-owners seen has doubled during this time. I am so excited to see that we are helping more children around Alaska.”

In anticipation of the added surgery options, the Ambulatory Surgery Center was remodeled and new dental equipment installed. Customizations were made to the layout to accommodate a variety of oral surgeries. This created an efficient workspace that has all the equipment needed for pediatric dentists and oral surgeons to provide care.

Performing dental surgeries in the redesigned Ambulatory Surgery Center also makes room for exciting changes at ANMC, including a new da Vinci surgical system, a robotic-assisted surgery tool that will improve the surgery experience. ANMC is the only Tribal health facility in Alaska with this new surgery system.

Select dental surgeries will still be performed at ANMC and will be determined on a case-by-case assessment. To help minimize preventable dental surgeries, SCF’s Dental team encourages customer-owners to implement an oral health routine that includes the following:

• Brush twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste
• Floss daily
• Use a fluoride mouthwash if you are over 6 years of age
• Visit the dental clinic at least once per year for a check-up
• Choose healthy snacks such as fruit, berries, veggies, cheese, and yogurt

It is important to have a dental home to help maintain good oral health. SCF is proud to serve Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and villages within the Rural Anchorage Service Unit.

For more information about SCF Dental, or to make an appointment for an exam, call (907) 729-2000.