The world has changed, and so must dental services. Instead of relying on complex scheduling and arranging transportation, mobile dental hygiene enables patients, especially seniors, to receive the oral care they need. Here are the top benefits you can expect when opening a community-oriented dental hygiene mobile practice with my help, Dr. Sonya Dunbar
Key Takeaways:
- Mobile dental hygiene services ensure you can meet hard-to-reach patients where they live.
- The flexible business model empowers you to expand reach, revenue, and care outcomes with little overhead.
- An excellent business for serving seniors and homebound patients.
- Integrates modern technology, such as teledentistry, to enhance dental care.
What Are Mobile Dental Hygiene Services?
Operating a mobile dental hygiene business enables you to deliver premium-quality oral care to patients in their homes, residential facilities, or community buildings, such as schools and town halls. Instead of asking people to come to a traditional clinic, you remove the challenge and expense of taking a bus, ride-sharing, or hiring a taxi.
The percentage of adults with a recent (last 12 months) dental visit went down from 65.5% in 2019 to 62.7% in 2020. In many cases, that is because they didn’t have a vehicle or could not schedule a ride due to being disabled, homebound, or in their senior years.
A dental hygiene mobile practice model targets this market niche, providing much-needed dental care on-site and growing a business you can rely on for years.
The 4 Key Benefits of Mobile Dental Hygiene Services
Benefit #1: Expanding Access & Services to Those Most in Need
Who benefits the most from mobile dental hygiene? Imagine a senior who cannot get out of bed suffering from a recent cavity. What about a military veteran with disabilities that restrict their chances of riding a bus or train?
Roughly 4 million people in the United States are homebound, and over half of those are adults 65 years or older. That is a massive population who could be living in an apartment receiving part-time care or residing in an LTC (long-term care facility) recovering from surgery.
With a mobile dental hygiene practice, you’re able to reach these populations. Instead of facing barriers, they receive compassionate, in-home care that addresses common issues, improving their quality of life.
Mobile dentistry can be expanded to include additional services. My company offers more than just dental hygiene, including services such as fillings, extractions, and dentures. While starting a mobile hygiene business is fantastic, we need to reframe the idea to include a broader range of dental services.
Just imagine the difference a cleaning can make on someone who hasn’t seen the dentist in years, and then they get fitted for new dentures so they can eat better and smile broader.
Providing mobile dental care reduces the chances of “no-show” appointments. It eliminates transportation issues and gives family members more peace of mind because loved ones are receiving personalized care in a setting they understand.
Benefit #2: Generating Additional Revenue Without a Second Office
COVID-19 did a real number on the dental industry. During the pandemic, the American Dental Association conducted a survey of 19,000 dentists and found that 76% had closed their offices to everything but emergencies, placing many businesses and employees in serious jeopardy.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift toward remote services. While meeting a dentist online or at home seemed novel at the time, consumers recognized how much more convenient it can be for daily schedules.
That works to your advantage because mobile care opens up new streams of income. Not only are you providing a service people want, but you’re lowering your operational costs. Mobile dental hygiene services can be cost-effective, especially when compared to a brick-and-mortar facility.
You’ve already spent time developing the skills and likely have a network of clients from traditional office settings. When you open a mobile practice, you expand your network, opening new doors to income and insurance reimbursement that can create serious business continuity, regardless of economic shifts or sociopolitical forces.
You can further expand your services by:
- Bringing in specialist (orthodontist, oral surgeon, etc.) providers one or two days a week.
- Offer digital payment services or streamlined insurance and cash pay models.
- Bundling with partnered services and teledentistry.
- Focusing on target segments to secure market share, like seniors in memory care or rural patients.
When you really think about it, being a dental hygienist allows you to grow your operational model in new and exciting ways. As long as you take the time to optimize equipment and resource allocation, you get way more flexibility as a company.
Benefit #3: Reaching New Patient Segments with Teledentistry
What is teledentistry, and how does it fit into mobile dental hygiene services? Teledentistry is like when you use Zoom or Google Meetups to talk with your family members across the country or engage in a work meeting if you work from home.
The way it works is you use specialty software, video conferencing, and digital tools to conduct different types of dental exams. By 2022, only around a quarter of dentists use teledentistry, but the growing demand for such services makes it an incredibly lucrative market.
There are two primary ways to use teledentistry. That is through synchronous exams where a dentist might join in with your dental hygiene mobile practice. The other is asynchronous exams, where you’ll record videos, photos, and chart notes you can update or send to the dentist.
A mobile practice that uses teledentistry for hygiene services is known as a “hybrid model.” It means you can schedule a long day of visits at a group home on a Monday and then spend Tuesday and Wednesday working from your home practice using teledentistry.
It also reduces unnecessary travel for you, dentists, and those with special needs – another crucial area for underserved patients. You can schedule visits more easily because you’re not leaving your primary office or in-home space.
Finally, teledentistry adds a new billable line to your existing dental hygiene mobile services. That is more revenue that you wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.
Benefit #4: Making a Meaningful Community Impact
Why would you want a mobile dental hygiene practice over a traditional care model? You get to reach a wonderful segment of the population that deeply appreciates your care and hard work. That elevates the percentage of people receiving quality care in a community. The healthier the community, the happier its residents.
Try to think of mobile dental care beyond a business strategy. It is a mission. You can see the difference on a patient’s face when you walk in with your gear. They know you’ll improve their smile, health, and offer dignity where others have not before.
The harsh reality is too many seniors go months or years without proper dental care. Your practice will maximize resource utilization that targets such patients. They get to remain in familiar environments as you offer services and see real emotional and physical transformations.
I believe mobile dental hygiene services to be one of the most rewarding businesses because of the direct impact you will physically witness. Plus, you rebuild trust in the practice of dental care!
Real-Life Scenarios: How Mobile Dental Hygiene Works in the Field
Let’s take a closer look at how your dental hygiene mobile practice can impact a specific client segment. Here’s some common scenarios I have seen firsthand and from my many students.
- Scenario 1: Offering mobile hygiene services to a memory care unit. You can adjust your tools to work with a 79-year-old patient managing late-stage dementia. Through speaking gently and using simple hand gestures, you can chart notes, take images, and offer video without causing trauma or drilling that could worsen their condition.
- Scenario 2: A licensed hygienist can use a dental hygiene mobile practice to visit a 68-year-old homebound veteran. He uses a wheelchair and hasn’t been out of the house in over a year. With your routine exam and cleaning, you can offer the best advice about addressing a simple filling through your partnerships. In just two visits, that veteran has a new bill of health.
- Scenario 3: Opening a mobile practice means your main office works smarter, not harder. While you’re out in the field, your chair welcomes dental surgeons for consultations. More regular clients get the care they need as you expand patient offerings to a wider base of potential customers. That cultivates office efficiency on many levels.
The list of real-world examples could go on and on. Mobile dental hygiene services empower your practice to grow without extreme overhead costs or additional patient barriers.
FAQs About Mobile Dental Hygiene
Are mobile dental hygiene services legal in the USA and Canada?
It depends. I really wish I could offer a simple answer, but the truth is different states will have different rules based on past experiences. You could have no difficulties somewhere out west only to run into a regulation about the type of chair you use in the northeast. Checking with your local state dental board ahead of time will give you the insight you need to cultivate a growing practice.
Is teledentistry reimbursable by insurance?
Yes! In most cases, synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) are fully reimbursable by dental insurance plans. Even the ADA (American Dental Association) lists insurance as being reimbursable as long as the services are provided by a properly qualified professional.
What’s the difference between mobile dentistry and mobile dental hygiene services?
Dentistry and hygiene have different care focuses. Hygiene is all about cleanings, exams, and preventative care that is often sent to a dentist for additional insight. Dentists specialize in restorative services, including fillings, extractions, and dentures. However, most practices go hand in hand to streamline operations.
How much does it cost to start a dental hygiene mobile practice?
Unfortunately, this is another tricky question to answer. Startup costs can range from $8,000 to $20,000, depending on the type of equipment needed, whether you already have a setup van or bus, and the kind of software utilized. That is significantly less than the average startup costs for a brick-and-mortar office, which is why a decent number of hygienists looking to develop a mobile model start part-time until they have a complete client list.
Can I use teledentistry if I’m a hygienist?
Yes, you can! Teledentistry will likely cover your hygienist services like conducting exams and cleaning teeth. You may want to consult with a dental medical biller to confirm, but you should be in the clear.
Final Thoughts
Bringing the compassionate care of your mobile dental hygiene services to a broader audience is not a dream of the future. It is a reality that I, and many of my students, have achieved.
Healthcare is constantly evolving, and dentistry must adapt to keep pace. Offering comprehensive and specialty in-home care ensures you can improve patient outcomes and serve a community in need who will appreciate all your work.
I want to help! You don’t have to figure all these details out on your own. Sign up today and Get Certified in Geriatric Oral Care, or Apply for My Coaching Program. You’ll learn how to bring fantastic care to your patients while optimizing your business model for long-term success.
There are so many people in the world suffering from sore gums, broken fillings, and teeth that haven’t been professionally cleaned in years. Let’s work together and make a positive impact on their lives. Sign up today and launch your dental hygiene mobile practice!
