Since 1925, dentistry has been an integral part of York Hospital's delivery of emergency care. In 1942, a more formal schedule of dental services was provided by volunteers. The present general practice residency in dentistry was initiated and approved by the American Dental Association in 1981.
The residents provide outpatient care in two modern facilities, the George W. T. Bentzel, D.D.S. Dental Center and the Frances A. Hoodner, D.D.S. Dental Center. There are a total of fifteen operatories with adjacent lab space and offices.
Both centers are well-equipped with the latest in dental technology and each resident is assigned a chair side assistant whenever delivering direct patient care. Staffing patterns provide the dental residents with sufficient dental auxiliaries to develop competence in auxiliary management and four-handed dentistry techniques. Current concepts of four-handed dentistry are stressed within the dentistry curriculum.
The hospital's reference and research library provides access to a diversified collection of current dental, medical and other topical, pertinent reference materials in the form of books and audiovisual materials. Dental holdings include current texts in each discipline of dentistry. Current and back issues of major dental journals and a dental literature index are also housed in the library and are readily accessible.