The dental clinic at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was once available to civilians on a space-available basis, but appointments for many years have been limited to uniformed personnel. (Pixabay)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A new dental clinic is in the works to serve American civilians at the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo.
“The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is in the initial planning stages of bringing a dental office to Yokota Air Base,” AAFES spokesman Travis Day confirmed Tuesday in an email to Stars and Stripes.
The timeline for the project is still being planned, he said, of the clinic, which could be housed on Yokota’s east side.
“The addition of this service will be a significant Quality-of-Life improvement, bringing high-quality professional dental care to dependents, family members, retirees and civilian employees at Yokota,” Day said.
The 374th Airlift Wing’s dental clinic at Yokota was once available to civilians on a space-available basis, but appointments for many years have been limited to uniformed personnel.
“While active-duty service members have a dedicated medical facility, their families, retirees and civilian employees typically need to seek care off base,” Day wrote. “The Exchange’s dental office will provide convenient and quality care consistent with services throughout the United States.”
American-style dental care appeals to mother of three Chelsea Morrison, whose husband, a former airman, works as a contractor at Yokota.
The family has had checkups at off-base dental clinics since arriving in Japan in 2020, she said.
“I don’t want to say they aren’t as advanced in their dental care, but there is a difference,” Morrison said. A checkup and cleaning at a Japanese clinic seem much shorter than similar care in the United State, she said.
The family hasn’t claimed reimbursement from insurers for the off-base dental visits, Morrison said, due to the hassle of filing paperwork and the low cost of their care, so far.
An on-base clinic that billed insurers directly would be welcome, she added.
The Defense Health Agency in 2022 reduced DOD civilians’ access to military health care facilities, saying federal law prioritizes service members’ care at those sites.
The agency limited civilians to space-available appointments and directed them instead to seek care in the local area.
A pilot program began Jan. 1 to help DOD civilians obtain care from Japanese providers, which typically do not accept U.S. health coverage. It complements their existing insurance plans and aims to help them avoid paying large, upfront fees.
