Mobile Dental Services
California is home to a variety of innovative, long standing and emerging mobile dental programs. As essential as such programs are to the underserved, the provision of such mobile care is plagued by a lack of a statewide coordination and/or collaboration between existing programs and funds. In fact, 30 or more years ago when such programs began emerging, provider’s ability to give critical oral health services have consistently been comprised by ebbs and flows of funding, struggles with maintaining costly equipment, and work force challenges. As a result, the CDA Foundation is leading an effort to address the long-term support of such important services. A first step has been to create an on-going peer networking community for providers. In December 2006, the CDA Foundation convened its forum for mobile providers to share lessons learned, discuss leveraging resources and to identify strategic priorities that need support to assure the effective continuance of mobile dental vans, including:
- Provide peer networking forum(s) to continue to foster peer collaborations, networking and explore leveraging resources. Advocate for financial support for operating mobile units and equipment maintenance, including resources and access to experts to provide equipment maintenance, information on vendors and buying guides.
- Coordinate funding agency efforts to support a statewide approach versus the existing patchwork approach to grant funding.
- Develop a public awareness campaign to inform various stakeholders and the dental community on the critical importance of mobile dental vans.
- Continue to support the oral health workforce including developing opportunities to bring the private and public dental communities together.
The CDA Foundation is committed to addressing these strategic priorities. In collaboration with the Tides Foundation, a virtual peer-networking forum has been created on the Community Clinic Voice. To date, the CDA Foundation has developed a listing of current mobile dental providers and has begun to research and map what types of services are provided where in California.
Future
Mobile dentistry has tremendously affected the people that have been reached by the services. Providers learned many lessons and have greatly expanded services since the pioneers began such work almost 40 years ago. As providers recount their stories of the lives they touched, they are also keenly aware of the potential to increase California’s oral health safety net through expanding mobile dentistry. Expansion incorporates a broad range of services including vans, portable equipment and tele-dentistry that may be enhanced through the expanded use of auxiliary dental health professionals and the broader incorporation of technology. The future of mobile dentistry is dependant on addressing the strategic priorities identified by providers, conducting research and collecting data on the efficacy and impact of such services, and proactively preparing for technological advances. To do so will require collaboration between providers and funds to create a long-term strategic plan for the future of mobile dentistry in California.
Contribute to the Mobile Dental Services Program.
Dr. John Jow and staff provide mobile dental services to many California veterans.