Dentists operating mobile clinics to serve rural residents are making headlines.
One of them is Dr. Chris Bryant of B.C., who has spent the past three decades working primarily out of a modest-sized vehicle that looks like a regular bus but is, in fact, a mobile dental clinic. He operates in Sooke, a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
“I’m doing this for the community that’s traditionally not had access to health care,” Bryant told Vancouver Island Free Daily, emphasizing that the clinic is not meant for house calls in suburban driveways. “It’s made those people living in small communities have to travel hours to get access to health care.”
“I’m doing this for the community that’s traditionally not had access to health care.” Dr. Bryant.
The estimated cost of Bryant’s mobile clinic was around $150,000. He says his model is gaining attention from young dental students who are discouraged by the current landscape, with many contacting him to learn how they can set up their own alternative clinics.
Blessing ceremony held for mobile clinic
Meanwhile, in Waianae, Honolulu, a blessing ceremony was held Wednesday for the region’s first mobile dental clinic, KHON2 News reported. The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center launched the unit to address gaps in care.
“There was definitely a need for health-care services in rural areas, and that’s particularly true for oral health and dental care,” Karina Gurant, oral health outreach program manager, told the news channel.
“Primarily, we see children from just a few months old to elementary school,” she added.
Rural vs city disparity
A Canadian population-based study last year found that although 17 per cent of the population lives in rural and remote areas, only 10 per cent of dentists, 15 per cent of dental hygienists, and 13 per cent of dental assistants practise in those regions. These geographic disparities result in workforce-to-population ratios being 1.9 times higher for dentists, 1.2 times higher for dental hygienists, and 1.3 times higher for dental assistants in urban areas compared to rural ones.
In December, a Harvard associate professor identified “dental deserts” across the U.S. and was among the first to map spatial accessibility to clinics nationwide. The research revealed that 24.7 million people live in areas with shortages of dental care, with rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities facing the greatest barriers.
