Several weeks ago, the Foundation received an e-mail from a military dentist requesting assistance for a dental clinic that takes care of the dental needs of Army Rangers based at Camp Tecson, in San Miguel, Bulacan Philippines. The clinic also caters to the military families. The combined total number of persons that rely on the clinic is 3500 people.
The simple request is very disconcerting. It gave the impression that even with the humongous budget of the military, access to dental care is impeded by bureaucratic priorities.
Dental health care in the military is provided through the AFP Dental Service. Unfortunately, some military dental health care facilities are not given adequate and timely attention. One example is the dental clinic at Camp Tecson.
But lack of timely support is not only in the military. It is common in every Rural Health Unit that we have visited. Sadly, in the Philippines, dentistry is at the very end of the spectrum when it comes to government support!
The dentist at Camp Tecson was seeking assistance to upgrade the dental chairs where she is stationed so that she can concentrate on her job as a dental provider instead of spending time asking for help outside the military echelon for properly working equipment.
“It would really help in providing proper dental care for the men and women in the unit since these personnel spend most of their time deployed in the mountains, and the only opportunity they have to access dental services is when they’re back in camp, so having a working dental chair available would make a big difference”, she stated.
Hearing her plea for a dental chair is alarming. It’s sad to note that such situation is existing when billions are budgeted by the Congress for the military establishment. For instance, records indicate the Army alone received 138.2 billion pesos for 2025.
Be that as it may, the Foundation replied to the dentist seeking clarification and photographs of her current facility.
The reply received was very sad.
The present status of the dental clinic indicates lack of timely and adequate support for the clinic leading to the almost total breakdown of the equipment. Therefore, treatment procedures are difficult at best.
“My main priority is actually replacing the dental chair. When it breaks down during treatment, it interrupts procedures, causes delays, and affects the quality of care. Fixing this would help us provide better and more efficient dental services. Right now, I’m the only dental officer here at the camp. That’s why I need to provide dental care quickly and efficiently. My patients usually stay just a few days before heading back to their deployments in the mountains, so it’s crucial that I’m able to treat them whenever they need it.” said the dentist.
After several exchanges with the dentist, the Foundation decided to send their local-based dental equipment technician to the clinic to thoroughly evaluate the status of the equipment.
The report received was disappointing!
One of the two dental chairs is no longer functioning. It needs a total refurbishing to make it function again. The other dental chair is barely functioning. The technician did some quick patch up repairs to make it more useable and recommended that it be repaired by replacing some parts and tubing to make it function better. But the true solution to the problem was to junk both chairs and provide replacements or at the very least, fully re-condition them.
To date, there is a discussion within the Foundation how help would be given to the clinic. The Foundation policies dictate that for a recipient to receive grants , they must follow certain conditions. One is to remodel their present facility to the design and specifications of the Foundation before equipment are provided. This is to ensure that the facility will be up to certain standards and more importantly so the equipment will have proper places to fit seamlessly thus allowing the place to promote patient comfort, support practical workflow and the implementation of workplace safety and infection control protocols.
Unfortunately, the dentist informed us that remodeling the present clinic is out of the question.
“I also want to be transparent about the idea of remodeling the clinic. At this point, it’s honestly very difficult to consider a full remodel. The cost would be quite substantial, and we simply don’t have the budget for it,” she said.
In view of the above, a full grant cannot be given. However, some help will be provided to show the dentist that her efforts for her clinic are appreciated and the fact that the “higher-ups” agreed to at least have a sterilizing cabinet fabricated for the clinic following the design of the Foundation.
A couple of the equipment that may be provided are a steam/pressure driven 18L sterilizer and an ultrasonic instrument cleaner to augment the infection control procedures at the clinic. The equipment will be provided soon as the cabinets are done.
But for now, donating brand-new dental chairs is out of the question.
As an immediate short-term solution, the Foundation will pay for the parts and the services of the technicians to repair one chair and make it function better.
The technician is scheduled to re-visit the Camp soon. He will replace several non-functioning valves and tubing and make the chair and unit function better.
As this article is being written, the dentist informed us that the improvements we envisioned for the clinic has received tacit support from her senior officers. And the Ex-AFD Dental Services Chief, BGen Rey C. Torres, DS promised to investigate the situation and see what he can do to help, That at least is a beginning.
“I am pleased to share that my Senior expressed full support for the initiative and has encouraged me to take the necessary steps to move this project forward. I would also like to sincerely acknowledge that, if it weren’t for your coordination and guidance, I wouldn’t have imagined that such an enhancement would be possible. Thank you so much.”
Note:
This article was published not to criticize the military establishment. It is simply a wake-up call to the chain of command and inform them that dental care issues at Camp Tecson need more attention. Army rangers constantly put their lives in harm’s way and providing them with on time dental care under ideal clinical conditions is the least they deserve.
The Dentistry for Every Village Foundation, Inc., raises funds by seeking grants and donations to build dental clinics. These clinics are donated to health care institutions that have the resources to house the facility, experiences and expertise to run them efficiently, and whose management is supportive of the cause.
