Dental geriatric care has reached new heights, with mobile dentistry for the elderly being offered at old aged care homes, retirement homes and aged special care centers. A mobile dental care and mobile hygienist visit the facility. Appointments are made in advance and the dentist comes to people who struggle with transport, or mobility. The dentist generally ‘parks’ his mobile dentist in the parking area of the frail care or old aged facility and people come for their appointments from the care facility, every hour or as booked.
Mobile care on offer
A mobile dental clinic offers very similar care and dental care to that of a general dental practice. This includes general dental cleanings, taking care of cavity, dentures which is a particularly necessary area of need for the aged, dental implants, root canals and more. A dentist will, just like in a dental practice, assess a patient’s oral needs and either begin proceedings immediately or advise the patient about what needs to be done in a follow up dental session.
Dental care is essential for older people
Just like we all need to have medical care throughout the duration of our lives, so too must we have dental care throughout our lives and even more so as we get old. With age comes dental decay. While it is vital to look after our teeth while we are young, old people need dental care no matter if they have taken the best care of their teeth during their youth or not. Looking after general oral care and teeth is vitally important especially as poor dental health can lead to pain and severe disease.
It is difficult for older people to leave their care facilities and it is sometimes stressful for them to do this too. This is why it is so sensible for dental care to come to the old aged home or facility. That is what a mobile dental clinic does. The dentist visits the care facility, with his dentist van and all the equipment he needs, and the old aged home or retirement home schedules appointments for the residents who want to and need to see the dentist. Appointments are run pretty much the same as they are in a dental practice, on the hour or so.
What a mobile dental practice includes
A good mobile dental clinic provides the basic and general dental services and procedures that a patient needs; this care is just provided in a mobile clinic. Such services and procedures can include, but are not limited to, teeth cleaning, minor procedures that can include tooth extraction or dental implants, root canal if it is required, dental bridges and dentures. A mobile dentist clinic is hygienic, offering exactly the same care, perhaps better because it is aimed at older people, than they would at a general dental practice.
A mobile dentist is well versed in working with older people and one can be assured that mobile dentistry for the elderly is always professional and gentle.