"Dental hygienist Carly Clark doesn't typically clean teeth in a dentist's office. Instead, her office travels with her. Armed with a mouth mirror, a half-dozen scalers, and a folding table, Clark rolls into Portland hospices, nursing homes, and assisted living centers to provide dental cleanings. She'll polish teeth as her clients lie in bed; she attacks plaque couch-side. And then she packs it all up and heads for her next patient."
"In 2022, more than a third of Americans over the age of 65 hadn't seen a dentist in the past 12 months, and it's not hard to imagine why. Around 2 million American seniors are homebound, and 18.9 million seniors 65 and older have no form of dental insurance or coverage (traditional Medicare doesn't cover dental services). Few assisted living facilities prioritize oral health: Of the 1.4 million people living in nursing homes in the United States, only 16 percent receive professional dental care."
Mobile dental hygiene services bring professional cleanings and some advanced procedures directly to hospices, nursing homes, and assisted living centers. Some mobile practices focus on hygiene and cosmetics, while others offer in-home X-rays, root canals, crowns, and implants. Many seniors face barriers to dental care: over a third of Americans 65+ had not seen a dentist in the prior year; about 2 million are homebound; and 18.9 million lack dental insurance, since traditional Medicare excludes dental services. Few nursing home residents receive professional dental care, staffing and oversight gaps contribute to neglected oral health, and facilities often deprioritize daily oral maintenance.
Read at Portland Monthly
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