To most people Arizona conjures up images of desert heat waves, cacti, and the Wild West. On the contrary, Mesa, the state’s third largest city behind Phoenix and Tucson, is home to exceptional vitality—and Arizona’s first dental school, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH).
ASDOH opened its doors to its inaugural class on July 21, 2003 and its 81-chair, state-of-theart clinic for its third-year students on April 28, 2005. The first ASDOH class is scheduled to graduate May 19, 2007. ASDOH operates under the A.T. Still University-Mesa campus, along with the Arizona School of Health Sciences. ASDOH operates as an accredited, private, nonprofit dental school offering an innovative dental education curriculum with that integrates whole person healthcare. The mission statement and goals of ASDOH are extraordinary, and students engage in a technologically advanced curriculum.
“We educate our students to be technologically adept dentists who become community and educational leaders while serving those in need,” says ASDOH Dean, Dr. Jack Dillenberg. “Our students are culturally competent, community-responsive, and willing and able to serve as a resource in their community for public health dental issues.” ASDOH’s agenda is expansive, offering its graduates a D.M.D. degree with a certificate in public health management. “We believe we can make a difference to the underserved populations and communities throughout the state,” says Dillenberg. “We strive to become a ready resource for dentists to refer patients they are unable to treat, as well as those who have avoided or have not had access to dental care due to personal circumstance,” he notes.
Back Row, left to right: Al Pytlik, Equipment Service Technician; Chuck Jenkins, Director, Special Markets, Equipment; Randy Kofron, Equipment Sales Specialist; Tom Kimbel, Regional General Manager; Dr. Jack Dillenberg, Dean AT Still University; Dr. Jim McGovern President, A.T. Still University
The creation of the two-story dental clinic was a highly specialized undertaking. Sullivan-Schein pooled experts Tom Kimbel, Regional General Manager; Chuck Jenkins, Special Markets/Equipment; Randy Kofran, Field Sales Consultant; and Al Pytlik, Equipment Service Technician to organize the project and provide the technical support necessary to accomplish the university’s goals. Ultimately, the clinic needed to provide students with a provider-patient experience while serving as a community resource for patient referrals and oral health information.
The clinic’s modern and highly functional open-bay operatories were configured as “pods” with ample space for four-handed dentistry and greater mobility during periods of increased activity. Customized, rear-delivery cabinets, Pelton & Crane 3000 chairs, and KaVo high-speed handpieces are a few of the high-end equipment selected for maximum efficiency and best ergonomics in the treatment areas. The sterilization area is situated to adequately service the clinic’s many operatories by means of a color-coded conveyor system that indicates which instruments have successfully passed through the process.
Both Sullivan-Schein and ASDOH have shared great enthusiasm for the beautiful new facility. Its multipurpose capabilities assist the cutting-edge school in implementing a full range of activities while pursuing its fundamental purpose as presented in its mission strategy and goals. Come May 2007, ASDOH graduates will be uniquely prepared to become leaders in their communities and exceptional healthcare providers. Sullivan-Schein is proud to have been part of this process by developing the technical resources that will give the school and its students the advantage of high-quality equipment and continued technical support to best serve ASDOH’s faculty, staff and students in pursuing the objectives of A.T. Still University.
