Potential Rewards And Challenges For Mobile Dental Clinics
Offering mobile dental services provides the opportunity for dentists to expand their patient base whilst at the same time ameliorating the problem. Visiting individuals who are unable to get to dentists is a growing market. The aging population offers this opportunity but most dentists are forced to consider alternate models of service delivery. The population of over 65 years old is projected to be more than 83 million in 2050. This is nearly double that of 2012. More people will be unable to travel to dental offices for treatment.
This will result in more people who want consistent dental care and can pay for it, but can’t access dental care because of psychological or physical impediments. We have minimal access to these patients because the traditional service delivery methods are limited to brick-and-mortar care. The population may be left to live with chronic infection and untreated pain that can affect its general health.
Dentists are therefore challenged to care for such patients and by doing this, increase their potential patient base. This leads to a win-win situation where the patient receives quality services and the dentists make more money.
Models for treating underserved populations
The involvement of dentistry with public health needs is aimed at low-income and young communities, using vans outfitted with dental offices or community clinics. Patients travel to facilities and get care at a reduced price or for no charge. Services remain inaccessible for the older population who can afford them but are isolated.
Comprehensive and individualized mobile dentistry
Individualized mobile dental clinic care involves dentists using customized equipment, traveling to patients and completing comprehensive services in a care facility or residence. A comprehensive dental treatment plan is designed and considers all psychological factors and medical factors.
Dental procedures are done without a patient leaving their residence. The cases can be complex due to various health factors but dental hygienists and dentists can accomplish extensive care if barriers are treated realistically. e.g., most endodontic dental procedures are impossible to perform within the standards of care. Teeth that require complete endodontic therapy are completely removed, or if they aren’t causing pain and with proper advice of the health team, are retained temporarily. Preventive, radiographic, operative, periodontal, prosthetic and surgical services are completed in the residence of the patient.
Mobile dentistry obstacles
There are 3 obstacles to home-based dental clinics. First is the failure of the profession to consider alternative models along with their professional, financial and personal advantages. The second obstacle is the dental schools that don’t educate students in managing a private practice, or on the necessity of evaluating their financial responsibilities at graduation.
The third obstacle to mobile dental services is that caretakers or patients fail to comprehend the extra costs for dental professionals. It is the responsibility of dentists to help patients understand the convenience factors of getting rid of time-consuming tasks of preparing patients to leave their homes, the emotional and physical strain on the patient and the total time for the dentist to travel to and wait at the office.
