Skagway’s Dahl Memorial Clinic Board of Directors approved dental contracts, meaning residents can look forward to monthly services.
Skagway has been without a visiting dentist for approximately two years. The dental office at Dahl Memorial Clinic (DMC) sits vacant while community members drive to Whitehorse or ferry to Juneau. Starting this spring, Skagway residents can access a dentist one week each month.
Clinic Executive Director Albert Wall was hired in December 2023. He explained the importance of having access to dental care.
“Dental care is foundational, very important health care,” Wall said. And I think there’s a number of people in town that just have gone without, for quite some time now. And the beauty of this clinic is, you know, we’re on a sliding fee scale for patients who can’t afford to go to, you know, a dentist in Juneau.”
All of the contracted dentists are from Juneau. On March 19, a team will visit Skagway’s clinic to evaluate and certify the dental machinery. Supplies will be ordered, and the target opening date is late April. A general dentist will visit every other month with a pediatric dentist coming in the off months. A dental hygienist will be available for cleanings. Unlike in the past, DMC will be in charge of making dental appointments, maintaining records and collecting fees.
Wall said patients who are unsure if their needs can be met by the visiting dentists should make an appointment.
“Some people are going to wonder about certain types of dental appointments: whether or not they can go under sedation, if they’re going to do root canals, if they’re going to do, you know, very specific this, that or the other thing,” he said. “And the only thing I can say is I’m not a dentist. So, we’ll have them come in and have the dentist assess them. And the dentist will make the determination whether or not they can be served here.”
In other clinic news, the board authorized the executive director “to pursue the establishment of an onsite licensed pharmacy” at their Feb. 22 meeting.
