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The Tibor Rubin VAMC/VA Long Beach Healthcare System includes a tertiary care teaching center affiliated with the University of California, College of Medicine at Irvine and several

community-based outpatient clinics. While a full range of medical services are available, the Tibor Rubin VAMC is nationally recognized for its comprehensive Cancer, Blind Rehabilitation,

and Spinal Cord Injury Centers. The population treated within the VA hospital setting has significant medical and dental needs. The Dental Service receives over 20,000 patient visits per

year. Concomitantly, patients typically have an array of debilitating physical, psychological, and/or medical conditions that complicate their dental treatment. Residents in the Advanced

Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Program are highly trained in the management of these complex patients. The spectrum of dental care ranges from emergency procedures to comprehensive

evaluation and treatment of eligible inpatients and outpatients, encompassing virtually all dentistry specialty areas excluding pediatric and orthodontic treatment. Special emphasis is

placed on providing treatment to patients with dental conditions associated with or exacerbating significant medical problems, such as head and neck cancer, spinal cord injury, diabetes,

cardiac valve dysfunction, joint replacement, and organ transplantation. The AEGD Program is the only advanced dental training program at the Tibor Rubin VAMC. The Dental Service receives

support from other services within the Medical Center, such as Radiology and Laboratory. Additionally, it provides broad consultative services to ENT, Radiation Therapy, Orthopedics,

Psychiatry, Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury, Community Living Center, and Pulmonary Sleep Clinic. Emergency services are provided for dental trauma and oral infections. The Dental Service is

staffed by several full-time and part-time dentists (including full-time specialists in periodontics, maxillofacial prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery), 4 AEGD residents, 3

full-time hygienists, approximately 1.5 assistants per dentist, and 1 laboratory technician.