FORT SILL, Okla. (July 23, 2015) -- Graduates said that a desire to serve Soldiers and the nation and enhance their professional education was what drew them to the Army Advanced Education in General Dentistry-1 Year program (AEGD).
"My dad retired as an enlisted sapper (engineer) and I saw how hard he worked, so I've always respected Soldiers and wanted to help them in a way that I could," said Capt. Jessica Bondy-Carey.
Capt. Nathan Persell, whose father was a Marine, said he has always wanted to serve.
"This avenue (AEGD) is the best of both worlds: I get to wear the uniform and serve the nation, and I get to provide dental care," he said.
Bondy-Carey and Persell were two of the seven graduates of the Fort Sill Dental Activity's Comanche AEGD-1 Year program, which selects stellar civilian dental school graduates and provides them with post-doctoral level training in general dentistry to work as active-duty Army dentists.
The graduation ceremony July 17, at New Post Chapel, drew dozens of family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and DA civilians.
AEGD-1 YEAR PROGRAM
Maj. Nathan Parrish, Comanche AEGD Residency Program director, said the graduation was the culmination of nine years of advanced education: four years as an undergraduate, four years in dental school and one intense year in the AEGD program.
"They learn every phase of dentistry above-and-beyond an average general dentist, so they can service our Soldiers so much more," Parrish said.
The Army trains about 48 dentists annually through its AEGD-1 Year program at six forts, he said. Training includes prosthodontics (crown, dentures, bridge work); endodontics (root canals); periodontics (gum and bone surgery, implants); oral maxillofacial surgery (extractions, dental trauma); and restorative (fillings, cosmetic dentistry).
Residents spent a few months immersed in each specialty through lecture, and treating patients at some of Fort Sills' five dental clinics. Working with mentors and dental assistants, the residents were closely monitored and evaluated until their skill levels were shown to be proficient.
Maj. Aaron Campbell, Fort Sill DENTAC peridontics chief, and AEGD mentor, said at the beginning of the rotation there is a lot of guided interaction, but then the residents slowly get more autonomy as they progress.
"I plan the surgeries and treatment plans with them, and go one-on-one with them initially in their surgeries," said Campbell, who was recognized by the residents as their outstanding mentor. "So we spend a lot of time together."
TYPICAL DAY
Like all Soldiers, the residents began their day with early-morning physical training. After breakfast, the residents would attend lectures or begin seeing patients at 8:30 a.m. Afternoons were spent in clinics.
"Because we do complex procedures we would only see one or two patients in the morning, and the same in the afternoon," Bondy-Carey said.
During their residency they were also responsible for learning Soldier tasks, including land navigation and weapons qualifications.
The residents performed two temporary duty (TDY) assignments during their residency, Persell said. Last fall at Fort Gordon, Ga., they attended forensics dentistry and learned methods to identify remains, as well as about autopsies from a dental perspective. During spring at Camp Bullis, Texas, the dentists attended the Combat Casualty Care Course.
Graduate Capt. Jay Patel, who did not come from a military family, said he learned a lot of didactic and clinical knowledge from the program.
"[Civilian] dental school brings you out as a competent dentist, but nowhere near as knowledgeable," Patel said. "This [AEGD] hones your skills in every specialty practice, so you can give better treatment to the Soldiers."
Patel will work at Fort Sill for one year, then receive advanced oral and maxillofacial surgery training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Retired Col. Robert Manga graduated from an AEGD-1 Year program in 1982, at Fort Riley, Kan. He told the graduates that their education was not over, but just starting.
"You guys are going to be the experts at your first clinics. Other young captains are going to be coming to you with questions on procedures and materials," said Manga, who served over 31 years.
The most important person in Army dentistry is the patient, said Manga, who is a faculty member at the East Carolina School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, N.C.
When a late afternoon sickcall Soldier sits in the dental chair in a dusty uniform at 4:15 p.m. and you were supposed to go home at 4, always remember to give your best, Manga said.
"At that time it would be very easy to shortchange that Soldier, but remember he or she deserves your best because most likely they were out on guard duty, out on a convoy or on the perimeter."
Col. Michael Roberts, Fort Sill DENTAC commander and dean of the Comanche AEGD program, has had praise for the AEGD-1 Year program for years. New graduates worked under him when he was the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Belgium dental commander.
"The quality and competency of the graduates was extremely high and I believe it still continues," Roberts said.
During the ceremony, Roberts reminded the dental officers that they are always Soldiers first, and medical professionals second.
2015 COMANCHE AEGD-1 YEAR GRADUATES
Capt. Jacob Anderson, University of Missouri-Kansas City, stationed at Fort Sill.
Capt. Jessica Bondy-Carey, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, stationed at Vicenza, Italy.
Capt. Nicole Collins, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, stationed at 65th Medical Brigade, Korea.
Capt. Bryce Fenton, Midwestern School of Dentistry, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Capt. Gregory Kiene, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Capt. Jay Patel, Henry Goldman School of Dental Medicine Boston University, stationed at Fort Sill.
Capt. Nathan Persell, A.T. Still University of Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, stationed at SHAPE Belgium.
Editor's note: Capt. Frank de Latour was in this year's class, however, he left in April to train in a prestigious Oral and Maxillofacial Residency Program.
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