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Penn Dental Medicine Dedicates New Orthodontic Clinic

April 11, 2006

Penn Dental Medicine faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends gathered on April 4 for the official dedication of the School's new Brainerd F. Swain Orthodontic Clinic. This state-of-the-art facility, completed in January, nearly doubles the amount of space for the School's orthodontic care and instruction and greatly enhances both the educational and treatment environment.

"The first thing people notice as they enter the clinic is the windows," says Penn Dental Medicine's Morton Amsterdam Dean Marjorie Jeffcoat. "Not because they are new, but because they are so old. Those beautiful windows were purposely left in place to remind us that, as we go forward into the future, we always respect the past."

Exposing the original windows of the circa-1915 Thomas Evans Building was one of the key design features in the clinic, which is located in the southwest corner of the Building's second floor. The 10-foot windows run along the entire south side of the clinic, flooding the treatment area with natural light and creating a warm and welcoming environment. The new facility features 19 chairs and is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, including computer capabilities in each operatory that will allow for the future introduction of digital radiography and chair-side patient charting. In addition, the treatment areas are designed to provide added privacy for patients and students.

The clinic, which is named in memory of Dr. Brainerd Swain, a highly respected clinician and educator who was part of the Penn Dental Medicine faculty for more than 30 years, also features a larger, more functional waiting and reception area, a new chart room, new consultation rooms, student lockers, and an oral hygiene area. The Ackerman Orthodontic Seminar Room, situated in the adjacent corridor, also complements the clinic resources.

"The new environment is just so modern, so uplifting," says Dr. Robert Vanarsdall, Chair of Penn Dental Medicine's Paul V. Reid Department of Orthodontics. "We can see so many more patients, and things operate much more smoothly. For everyone involved, it's a pleasure just to be in the new space."

The Swain Orthodontic Clinic project is the second in a series of clinic renovations planned for in the Evans Building; a new Pediatric Clinic was completed in 2002. The School's master plan calls for upgrading all of the clinics within the Evans Building and will address the Periodontic, Main (general dentistry), and Endodontic clinics over the next several years. The $3 million Swain Orthodontic Clinic was made possible through support from the Penn Dental Medicine alumni with a large portion of the donated funds coming from an estate gift made by Eleanor B. Reid; she left her entire estate to the Department in memory of her husband, Paul V. Reid, a former Department Chair.

View photos of the clinic

View photos of the clinic dedication