FAQ’s Dental Clinic
Technology
What services do you provide?
The goal of the Dental Clinic is to promote the oral health of the residents of the North Slope and provide comprehensive dental care for patients ranging from newborns to geriatrics. Outside of dental care, the staff also runs oral health promotion activities throughout the year, such as weekly fluoride programs for the children at Ipalook Elementary School, quarterly school oral hygiene programs, and health class lectures for Hopson Middle School and Barrow High School.
What type of equipment do you have?
The dental clinic itself has six chairs, PAN, Hu-Friedy instruments and cassette systems, Rotary Endo, KaVo surgical hand piece, and two Impregum machines. It is the goal of the Dental Clinic Director to provide the highest quality equipment and instruments so dental staff can provide the highest quality dentistry in one of the most remote dental clinics in the United States.
Staffing
How many dentists, hygienists and dental assistants do you have?
We have three full-time dentists, one full-time hygienist, 12 permanent and on-call dental assistants, one dental program assistant, and several part-time dental specialists staff the dental clinic. The specialists come to Barrow for one to two weeks and provide dental specialty clinics such as periodontal clinics for diabetic patients and oral surgery and denture clinics. Part-time dentists are hired to cover when permanent dentists are out of town.
What is the average daily patient load?
We see between 10-30 patients a day depending on how many providers are working in the dental clinic and whether or not we are running a specialty clinic.
Are dentists required to take call?
Dentists are “available” for emergencies after hours and on weekends but we do not have a set call schedule. We average one to two after hours and weekend dental emergencies a quarter. Though available by cell phone for emergencies, dentists are not “called in” to the hospital frequently.
Do dentists do village travel?
Yes, dentists travel four to six weeks a year to the outlying villages. Typically, only permanent, full-time dentists do village travel. TDY or part-time dentists do not fly to the villages.
How long have dentists been in Barrow?
The Dental Director has been in Barrow seven years. The two Staff Dentists were hired within the last 18 months and were recruited through the dental externship program. In this program the dental clinic hosts 4th year dental students for a three to six week externship. During this time, students are able to experience Barrow and learn about the Inupiat culture. They complete orientation and standardization in Barrow and then go to a remote village to provide dental care with a staff dentist.
Licensing
What is the licensing requirement for dentists in the State of Alaska?
WREBS and an Alaska application are required for licensure. We also accept dentists with valid out-of-state licenses through a Personal Services Contract.
Career Paths
Do you offer staff training?
We have our own in-house training program for dental assistants. This is a formal class offering beginning and advanced dental assistant training.
We also offer a study club program for professional Dental staff. The Dental Director organizes and hosts 10-15 “Lunch and Learn” programs throughout the year. Continuing education offerings at SSMH Dental during the past year have included: oral surgery lectures, case-based “emergencies in the dental office” lectures and hands-on all day programs, hands-on suture technique classes with a Periodontist and an Oral Surgeon, dental laboratory skills, fluoride, and PANDA (Prevent Abuse and Neglect Through Dental Awareness) training.
Compensation
What is the compensation package for dentists?
In addition to generous and competitive salaries, we offer free housing, two weeks annually for CE’s, six weeks vacation, paid membership in the American Dental Association plus one membership of the dentist’s choosing, and $6,000 for moving expenses. | 
