Patients Benefit from Expanded Hospital-Based Dental Care in UAE
Larger clinics and hospital-only facilities provide better access to specialized care, and support investment in the latest diagnosis and treatment technologies
Patients are benefitting from expanded, hospital-based dental care available in the UAE, the chief dentist at leading Dubaispecialty hospital Rashid Hospitalsaid today. As part of MHC ’s network of integrated healthcare facilities, Rashid Hospitalis one of the largest dental clinics in the city, and one of the most advanced.
Having begun in 2013 with just six chairs and five doctors, Rashid Hospital’s dental clinic has now grown to accommodate 12 chairs and 24 doctors, able to treat 200 patients each day. Dr. Khalid Al Ameri, Consultant Orthodontist and Head of Dentistry at Rashid Hospital, says this degree of scale means the clinic can offer patients better care and more specialties. He says the positive effect is amplified when key hospital-only facilities are added to the dental service.
“As one example, dental procedures are usually carried out with a local anesthetic to numb the area affected,” Dr. Al Ameri explains. “But there are some patients who find this stressful, who will panic or move around during the procedure, and this is a particular problem when we try to carry out dental work on those with special needs.
“At our clinic, we have full access to a surgical operating theater, with the ability to administer a general anesthetic when required. Only a hospital can offer this. It would never be possible at your local dentist’s office.”
At the opposite end of the scale, Rashid Hospitaloffers ‘magic wand’ single-tooth anesthesia, a totally painless option for minor procedures. Other new technology at the larger clinic includes an upgraded in-house dental laboratory that provides fully automated manufacture of dental fittings. The equipment replaces traditional dental impressions and molds, instead using digital scans to create 3D images of the mouth and teeth. These can be used to create files for computer-aided design or manufacturing programs, resulting in perfectly matched replacement parts.
“By investing in this new technology, Rashid Hospitalhas reduced the making of dental fittings from a lengthy, laborious process to one that takes just a few minutes,” says Dr. Al Ameri.
“With this technology, we aim to deliver a service in which the patient can receive their crown or filling within half an hour, rather than having to make multiple appointments.”