Photos

Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Austin, a dental technician with 1st Dental Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, organizes his team’s tasks at the start of the day at the 13 Area Dental Clinic, Camp Pendleton, Calif., July 23, 2014. Dental technicians provide much needed assistance to dentists by setting up and maintaining equipment, putting the patients at ease, preparing them for treatment and performing X-ray scans and administrative tasks. “As dental technicians, we need to take care of patients’ needs,” said Austin. “We work hand-in-hand with the dentists for eight hours a day to provide those needs and maintain combat readiness.”