Pediatric Clinic Open House Debuts Renovation Updates

Philadelphia – Penn Dental Medicine debuted the recent renovations to the School’s Pediatric Clinic with an open house celebration on February 12. The Penn Dental Medicine community of faculty, staff, and students joined with alumni to tour the clinic and see the updates to both the clinical care and patient areas.

“We are excited to have the updated operatories and equipment to support our clinical services and the refreshed look and feel throughout make it a welcoming environment for patients,” says Dr. Betty Hajishengallis, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Dentistry.

The renovation included new flooring, new ceiling, new lighting, and a fresh coat of paint throughout the patient waiting area and the clinical care area that includes 10 operatories. There is also new seating and a new television in the waiting area. The operatories were updated with new dental chairs, new radiology units, and new cabinetry. In addition, one of the most significant changes was the creation of a new operatory designed to accommodate patients needing care on a gurney or wheelchair.

“We see a significant number of patients on wheelchairs and having an operatory equipped specifically to accommodate their needs will make it easier and more convenient for them to receive and for us to deliver the dental care this special group of pediatric patients deserves,” says Dr. Hajishengallis.

Residents within the School’s postdoctoral pediatric program provide care within the clinic along with DMD students, who also rotate through the clinic. In 2014, the pediatric clinic was expanded with the creation of an open bay area with six treatment areas; this section of the clinic, used predominantly for the DMD students seeing older children in the clinic, did not go through any changes in this recent renovation.