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REFERENCES “It’s kind of a feel good thing. We have the best equipment out
there. So the soldiers are treated very, very well. I’m excited
about that. It makes me feel good that we have some small part
in bettering the soldiers.”

Michelle L. Bottino, RHS,
Planmeca, Inc., US Government/Direct Sales.

ON THE FRONT LINES

United States military uses Planmeca x-ray equipment all over the
world to help diagnose, treat dental situations. Standardised software
and dental equipment save in training and maintenance costs.
More importantly, it allows the military to provide seamless and
high quality, fast dental care anywhere.

The last thing anyone wants is to have one basis. With the Planmeca ProMax x-ray
of their soldiers in combat be distracted system, users can do a standard panoramic

by a dental emergency, or to be unavailable x-ray for an overall health of the patient, and

to serve due to dental problems. Diagnosing the system also allows for extraoral bitewing

soldiers’ oral health can take excessive time images.

– not to mention searching for misplaced “Cavities can cause that emergency

paper records. situa­ ­tion to pop up in the next 12 months,”

Planmeca ProMax is the x-ray equipment Bottino said of the importance of quickly and

of choice for the entire Department of accurately diagnosing soldiers before they are

Defense (DOD). Planmeca provides dental sent out.

x-ray equipment to US military bases all “They can do two images in about a
minute as opposed to about 20 minutes in Photo: Courtesy of the US Army
28 across the country and around the world.

Digital records the old way. It’s a huge time-savings.”
“The Planmeca ProMax x-ray unit can do

Today, every dental clinic in the United States extraoral bitewing images and with those you Lower radiation dose and
Army and Air Force has gone digital and can diagnose caries. That’s huge,” Bottino said. environmental benefits
uses Planmeca ProMax x-ray equipment.
With the help of this technology, the
“The digital transition was a must in terms military clinics can quickly diagnose and Retired Air Force dentist Dr. Dennis
of helping track records for all the service classify the soldiers based on their dental D. Stuckey backs up the importance of

men and women, especially since they are health. electronic record keeping and the speed

regularly changing locations”, says Planmeca’s “The deployable soldiers are in a classi­ of digital x-ray units. But he also points
Michelle L. Bottino.
fic­­ at­ion that says they’re not likely to have out another big plus — reduced radiation

“The Army for example has one database any kind of dental emergency in the next exposure.

for all of their soldiers’ dental records. No 12 months.” “The Air Force clinics are 100% digital

matter what base the guy or gal goes to, the capable which allows our providers to acquire
and view high quality images quickly with
record will be there. Earlier, as many as 30 % Standard training

of paper records were misplaced every year”. Another plus to having just one x-ray less radiation exposure to our patients,” said

Bottino gets to experience the gratitude choice throughout the DOD is that once Colonel (Dr.) Stuckey.

expressed by those thankful to get their hands you are trained to work with and maintain Additionally, switching from film to digital

on a Planmeca ProMax system that can help the Planmeca ProMax system, you will be allows the military to do away with chemicals

them do their job and better care for the prepared to do so regardless of where the involved in processing. This saves time and

service men and women. government deploys you. money - and less chemicals translates into a

“I went to the big military conference, “The equipment support team is trained healthier world for all of us.

AMSUS, and people come up to me, saying, on the same equipment,” Bottino said. “It’s really all about improving the quality

‘Hey, you just rolled out our equipment and The same goes for the x-ray technicians. of care for our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and

it’s great to have.’ It’s a really uplifting feeling.” “Since we put the same x-ray in every single Airman. This project allows us to provide

tells Bottino, who is engaged to a soldier. dental clinic in the country, there’s less seamless and high quality dental care

Efficiency training involved.” anywhere.”

“Navy ordered a piece of equipment for an

The speed in which the Planmeca systems undisclosed overseas location,” she said. “One First published in dentalproductsreport.com,
produce high-quality images is critical in of the techs was flown in to be taught how to March 15, 2010 by Stan Goff, Executive Editor,
regards to getting soldiers deployed in a timely install and maintain the equipment.”
Dental Products Report