Alternative Pathways in Dentistry: Mobile Dental Clinics, Illustration of Implementation in San Mateo and Santa Clara County through Federally Qualified Health Center

Abstract

Introduction Alternative models of healthcare delivery are becoming essential to close the current gaps in dental care.Methods These alternative care models also provide an opportunity to the dental team to work in non-traditional clinical settings and allow the approach to be designed around chronic disease management, enhanced patient engagement, and ease of access. One such model is the mobile dental clinic. Mobile clinics can be impactful in providing dental services and reaching communities that experience the most difficulty in accessing traditional dental clinics.Results Mobile service delivery can be achieved utilizing a mobile dental van or transporting dental equipment to a site and setting up a temporary dental office. They are slowly growing in popularity in urban, sub-urban and rural United States as it offers to address barriers and increase utilization of dental services. They allow for flexibility for the dental team and at the same time address social determinants of health, making it a promising dental service delivery model.Practical Implications This manuscript reviews the use of mobile dental units and its effectiveness as an adjunct to traditional brick and mortar dental clinics and its challenges and also describes implementation of a mobile dental clinic program by a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the Bay Area, CA.

Keywords

• Access to care
• mobile dental units
• alternate pathways in dentistry