Setting up a mobile dental practice within your present office structure.
Morreale, James P; Dimitry, Susan; Morreale, Mark; Fattore, Isabella
Why this matters
A mobile unit can run as an extension of an existing dental practice rather than a separate operation. The article describes a geriatric mobile unit built on one Hamilton, Ontario practice's existing staff and equipment to serve long-term care institutions, and presents its costs and profitability.
Abstract
Different service models have emerged in Canada and the United States to address the issue of senior citizens' lack of access to comprehensive dental care. Over the past decade, one such model, the use of mobile dental service units, has emerged as a practical strategy. This article describes a mobile unit, operated as an adjunct to the general practitioner's office and relying mainly on existing office resources, both human and capital, to deliver services at long-term care institutions. The essential components of a profitable geriatric mobile unit are described, including education, equipment, marketing research and development, and human resource management. Issues related to patient consent and operating expenditures are also discussed. Data from one practitioner's mobile dental unit, in Hamilton, Ontario, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and profitability of this approach.