Washington - HealthPoint - AEGD

What is the mission of your training site? 
HealthPoint is a community-based, community-supported and community-governed network of non-profit health centers dedicated to providing expert, high-quality care to all who need it, regardless of circumstances.  Founded in 1971, we believe that the quality of your health care should not depend on how much money you make, what language you speak of what your health is, because everyone deserves great care.  Over the past four decades, HealthPoint has continually reinvested in new facilities, expanded services and recruited expert providers to enhance quality of care.  Patients benefit from a coordinated systems that includes medical care, dental care, naturopathic medicine, behavioral health care, social services, and case management.

What types of dental services can I expect to perform? 
We provide comprehensive dental care to both children and adults.  General dentistry procedures offered include cleanings, fillings and extractions.  We offer limited major procedures, such as crowns, bridges, implant restorations, full and partial dentures, and root canals.  HealthPoint providers work together to refer patients requiring major procedures to the AEGD resident dentists whenever possible.  Some procedures that are not provided at HealthPoint include orthodontic treatment, periodontal grafting, crown lengthening surgery, implant placement, extraction of full bony impacted third molars, and cone beam radiography.  When patients require these services, we provide a referral to a local specialist, community programs who can provide care for the uninsured and Medicaid patients, and UW Dental School.     

What types of technologies can I expect to use? 
Tukwila Dental Clinic is a 7 chair clinic with up-to-date Adec equipment, digital radiography, and electronic health records.  Each operatory has dual monitors, handpieces with LED lights, piezo scalers, and Isolite attachments.  Residents will have the opportunity to work with nitrous oxide when indicated for pediatric and adult patients.  Residents utilize rotary endodontic handpieces and warm vertical gutta percha obturation or carrier based gutta percha obturators.  A soft tissue laser is also available for periodontal surgery or frenectomy.  We supply a variety of quality direct restorative materials and bonding agents so that residents can find what works best in their hands.  Fixed and removable prosthodontics are fabricated by a quality, local dental laboratory so that residents can focus on clinical care rather than lab work.

What is the patient population? 
We treat a diverse, underserved population which includes a high proportion of immigrants and refugees.  About 40% of our patients prefer a language other than English, and interpreter services are available at our site.  The majority of our patients currently obtain their dental care through Medicaid.  We also offer a sliding fee scale to make care more financially accessible for our patients.  Residents will have the opportunity to assess patients who are medically and dentally complex, and to work with medical providers and specialists to coordinate care.

What is life like outside of the training site? 
Tukwila is a diverse city located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, about ten minutes from the Seattle Tacoma International Airport and twenty minutes from downtown Seattle.  Residents have the opportunity to explore outdoor recreation in environments ranging from mountains to ocean to forest, as well as outstanding dining, shopping, arts and city night life all within less than two hours’ drive.  Weather in the Seattle area is generally mild, although rain is common through most months of the year.  However, in July and August we enjoy sunny days without the heat and humidity found in many other locations.  During the winter months, heavy snow in the Seattle area is rare, but the mountains are nearby for those who enjoy winter sports.  The cost of living and level of traffic in Seattle are high, as is typical of major coastal cities.

Will residents have the opportunity to restore and/or place implants at your training site? 
Implants are not placed at HealthPoint clinics.  Residents do have the opportunity to restore implants when these cases are available in our patient population.  We work with local surgeons or UW Dental School to coordinate the care of implant placement with a treatment plan for restoring the implant once placed. 

Will residents treat children in your training site? 
The patient mix in our clinic is about 60% adult and 40% children.  Residents do have the opportunity to treat children in our training site on a regular basis.  Nitrous oxide is available when indicated.