Flushing Hospital Medical Center officials were joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new state-of-the-art dental center on Monday, April 3.
“As we celebrate the opening of this state-of-the-art dental facility, it is a reminder of the exceptional service that my constituents, our community will receive for their oral health,” Meng said.
Flushing Hospital’s Dental Department provides treatments in several specialty areas, including pedodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, implantology, orthodontics, endodontics and periodontics. These treatments are provided by a team of 41 attending physicians, eight residents and 10 support staff members.
The department currently treats an average of 11,000 patients each year. With the improved capabilities of the new dental center, this number is expected to increase to over 14,000 patients, an increase of more than 20%.
The 3,550-square-foot facility will feature eight examination rooms, one imaging room, one laboratory and one sterilization room. The center is expected to significantly improve dental patient capacity and treatment efficiency at the hospital and expand community access to a variety of specialized dental treatments.
The dental center will also feature a wide range of new equipment, including a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine with 3D imaging, fiber-optic hand pieces in all operatories and all-new dental delivery units with monitors for patients to see their radiographs and better understand their treatment plan. Other amenities include curing lights, specialized sterilization cassettes, a larger registration area and a larger, more convenient waiting area.
“We will now be able to serve many more patients, making access to dental care available to so many more people in our community,” said Dr. Bijan Anvar, chairman of the Department of Dental Medicine. “Flushing Hospital is on an amazing path that shows our commitment to serving our community.”
Across the United States, approximately 90% of all adults have had at least one cavity, and nearly half of all adults show signs of gum disease. Over half of all children have also had cavities in their baby or adult teeth. These problems are more common among underserved communities. With the expanded care resources offered by Flushing Hospital’s new dental center, patients will have closer local access to specialized treatment for these conditions and others.
Flushing Hospital’s Dental Department provides treatments in several specialty areas, including pedodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, implantology, orthodontics, endodontics, and periodontics. These treatments are provided by a team of 41 attending physicians, eight residents, and 10 support staff members.
Bruce J. Flanz, president and CEO of Flushing Hospital, said the hospital is excited to provide the Flushing community with a new, state-of-the-art destination for accessible, high-quality dental care.
“The new dental center will give us the opportunity to really bring state-of-the-art dental services to our community. We’ll be able to treat more than 14,000 visits a year and we’re really looking forward to doing that,” Flanz said.
Appointments at Flushing Hospital’s Dental Department are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Paul Frangipane.
