Setting up a mobile dental practice within your present office structure.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Dentistry
• Healthcare Service Delivery Models

Background:

• Senior citizens face significant barriers to accessing comprehensive dental care.
• Various service models are being developed in North America to address this gap.
• Mobile dental units have gained prominence as a viable strategy over the last decade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a mobile dental unit model.
• To outline the components for a profitable geriatric mobile unit.
• To discuss operational aspects including patient consent and expenditures.

Main Methods:

• The mobile unit operates adjunct to a general practitioner's office.
• It leverages existing human and capital resources.
• Services are delivered directly to long-term care institutions.

Main Results:

• Essential components for profitability include education, equipment, marketing, R&D, and HR management.
• Patient consent and operating expenditures are critical considerations.
• Data from a Hamilton, Ontario-based unit illustrate the model's feasibility and profitability.

Conclusions:

• Mobile dental units are a feasible and profitable approach to improving dental care access for seniors in long-term care.
• This model effectively utilizes existing resources to serve a vulnerable population.