The Mobile Dental Van method of dental care is probably more prevalent in developing countries due to economic, social, and geographical factors. The dental colleges should require dental students to learn about the outreach programs to help them understand that good dentistry can also be practiced with Mobile Dental Vans. The refurbished Mobile Dental Vans look like new and cost substantially less than the custom built new vans.

Dental Health care fundamentals are closely associated with professional dental education. Rural areas account for three in every four people living in poverty on less than US$1.00 a day. However, urban slum growth is out pacing urban growth by wide margins. Mobile Dental Van Programs can facilitate promoting dental education to the dental health shortage communities in the impoverished areas globally. The impoverished areas are split up between the rural areas and the urban slums requiring dental education, dental hygiene, oral diagnosis, sealants, preventive procedures and future follow up services.

South Texas (USA) has an unacceptable population to dentist ratio of less than 5000:1. World Health Organization (WHO) data reports that 75 countries had a population to dentist ratio of 10,000:1. The role of Mobile Dental Van Program stems from such statistics of population to dentist ratios. The Mobile Dental Program provides free or low cost urgent dental care services to patients who lack dental insurance or any realistic way to pay for dental care treatment. The primary obstacles to receiving dental care are cost, accessible location, and socio-economic challenges. The use of outreach vehicles, ranging from custom built clinic on wheels (Dental Coaches/Trailers) are also used by some countries to provide a variety of dental and medical health services to people without stable housing. Our organization has even designed custom homes by modifying a 20′, 40′ or 45′ transportable shipping containers to offer homeless stable housing. We can also provide Trailers which are also a venue to practice Dentistry. Besides Mobile Coaches semi-type trailers, and modular building are also great venues for primary care, mammography, nuclear imaging, bone dentistry, CT as well as psychology, office, command centers, class rooms and other applications anywhere your imagination may take you. The use of the mobile clinic can reduce financial, geographic and psychological barriers to dental health care for population residing in rural and urban slum areas.

The complex nature of running mobile dental van program requires support from community leaders, volunteers, government entities, financial entities, dental colleges, and graduating dental students to name a few.

The private fix dental clinics require a dentist owner and a staff that include dental assistants, a hygienist, and an office manager. The cost of such a fixed dental clinic can vary from US$200,000.00 in the U.S. or more. This type of organization can be simple compared with the complexity of a Mobile Dental Van Program. The cost of a Mobile Van with 2 chairs can be US$400,000 dollars or more for a custom built new van. But a Refurbished Mobile Dental Coach equipped with dental equipment cost will be substantially less. The refurbished dental coach looks like new.

Finally, the continuity of the Mobile Dental Van Program may depend on continuous financial support, community engagement and ongoing follow up patient services. There are many providers who use mini vans equipped with portable dental equipment because this is probably the least economical setup. They may provide the basic services like oral education, diagnostics and sealants and get paid from government programs like Medicaid. But the Medicaid may not cover a subsequent treatment for the same patient if it becomes necessary. Many dentists are reluctant to serve patients as Medicaid payments are deemed insufficient. This could make it difficult for some Medicaid patients to receive ongoing service.

Contact us at kbconsultants1958@gmail.com or 586-917-0245 for inquiries or information.