The Tribune

By Dr Andre R Clarke, DDS MBBS

WHAT is mobile dentistry? It is not two words you expect to see together. This type of dentistry is simply dentistry that is performed away from the traditional office setting and is performed in a nontraditional setting such as private homes, private yachts, commercial centres, schools, physicians’ offices and emergency rooms.

It can be realistically performed in any safe and convenient location. The availability of water and electricity although preferable, is not always mandatory, as generators and portable water containers can be utilised.

It has been the misconception for many years that a dental healthcare provider is confined to his highly technological sophisticated office. It was generally accepted by everyone, that a dental office is filled with instruments and equipment that are large, bulky and impossible to transport easily. Although this was true in the past, technology has made it possible to create instruments and equipment that are both functional and ready for easy transport. It is technology that has started the era of mobile dentistry and has kept it going.

It is common practice for the Department of Public Health to utilise mobile dentistry. The department provides dental care for persons on many of the family islands that are a part of the Bahamian archipelago. The public health department provides for the transport of equipment, instruments and materials via boat or plane from New Providence to other islands. Whenever an island’s scheduled island dental visit is completed, the equipment, instruments and remaining dental material are returned to New Providence. This ensures maintenance and repair to the instruments and equipment and allows materials to be replenished.

Within New Providence, dentists also visit old persons’ caring facilities (e.g. the Yellow Elder Senior Citizen Centre and Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged) and manage the individuals there, exactly as if those individuals walked into the dentist’s traditional office.

The visits to these caring facilities allow bed-bound, incapacitated and/or immobile patients the opportunity to receive dental care. All persons regardless of their physical, psychiatric, developmental or medical state have a right to basic oral care.

Dentistry is primarily a procedure based profession, but scheduled consultations with patients should never be overlooked. The knowledge base and communication skills of the oral healthcare practitioner should never be brushed aside. It is mandatory that a patient is consulted, examined and treatment planned before any procedure is attempted. This can easily occur outside of the traditional dental setting. If a procedure needs to be performed, the dentist has the option of performing it in a traditional or a nontraditional setting. The comfort of the patient, the difficulty of the procedure and the management of any possible complications are a few of many determining factors, used to ascertain the best setting for treatment. The safety and well being of patients are always at the forefront of the minds of all good healthcare professionals.

All healthcare professionals go through the baccalaureate of healthcare to care for and help patients. If the patients are unable to go to them, they will go to the patients. In dentistry it is now possible to do such a thing. The department of health in The Bahamas does not stand alone, when it comes to servicing the populace using mobile dentistry. It is joined by Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. In the US, the states of Texas and Michigan are known for their provision of mobile dental services.

Always remember, your health is your most precious possession. Do not let it go to ruin. Oral health is no different. Strive to be the healthiest you can be and visit your oral healthcare professional for an assessment in a traditional or a nontraditional setting.

• This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended and may not be treated as, a substitute for professional medical/dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or dental professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical/dental condition. Never disregard professional medical/dental advice or delay in seeking it because of a purely informational publication.