1. Introduction to Mobile Dental Units
Mobile Dental Units; Traditional dental health delivery concepts are changing. Present dental disease patterns, the ever-increasing demand for better and more comprehensive patient-centric health care services, and the need to bring health care services to the individual – as close as possible – are challenging traditional static health delivery systems. These systems are becoming economically less feasible, especially when dealing with health needs that require providing care to a relatively small – albeit stable – segment of the total patient population. Dental care services are a prime example; they typically meet all of the criteria that make them ripe for development and progressive funding support, specifically via the use of mobile dental units. Mobile dental units enable dental care to move directly to the patient, wherever the patient may be: school children, frail elderly, retirement homes, remote areas, and individuals residing in areas with no viable access to dental care or having no access to care at all. Yet, looking at the global picture, especially in many of the world’s developed countries, statistics suggest that there is considerable underutilization of this highly viable concept. Mobile dental programs appear to have become almost a non-entity. Such a scenario begs for serious consideration of the question – are mobile dental units an effective and efficient vehicle for the delivery of dental health care, especially for the at-risk portion of the population?
2. Key Features and Components of Mobile Dental Units
The ability to provide oral healthcare services in an experiential manner and in hard-to-reach areas to alleviate oral health disparities has fueled the demand, production, and use of mobile dental units. These dental units offer many advantages to their users while the design and specifications improve over time. Manufacturers play a crucial role in the rapid evolution of mobile dental units; through innovative efforts, the units are programmed to become multipurpose, fully functional dental clusters, allowing them not only to offer curative services but also preventive or outreach services in many diverse communities, by being simple-to-operate dental treatment centers. This chapter provides detailed information on the key features of mobile dental units, such as van and trailer types of bodies, dental treatment spaces, basic facilities, and components to supply uninterrupted and high-quality service. Newcomers to the field, as well as experienced users, will be able to benefit from the information regarding value-added services and solutions provided by future mobile dental units.
3. Leading Manufacturers in the Industry
In the mobile dental unit community, there are several leading manufacturers whose products are considered reliable, durable, and beautifully engineered. The top-of-the-line mobile dental units that come equipped with them can be state-of-the-art and be the key to a healthy mouth and lifestyle for individuals of all ages. Each of these companies not only manufactures the dentist’s office on wheels, but they also provide services that keep your mobile dental unit up and running stably. In this chapter, we review a number of leading companies, addressing their contribution to the field of mobile dentistry and the dental equipment and instruments utilized in their products. In the mobile dental transportation sector, significant product innovation has sparked. Greater emphasis on quality has contributed to a dearth of alternative providers who offer better services at less cost, to benefit either the service user or the employer who is looking to reduce equipment costs. These contributions not only broaden and integrate the products within mobile dental transportation systems, but they also make mobile dental systems appealing to pursue as an investment. Each of these companies has managed to place a genius in their team and deliver such performance at a minimal cost to the service user that the dentist’s mission is supported in full while they are in the field treating patients.
3.1. 1. ICU Automative
Aircraft and truck body maker ICU Automotive is a professional converter of commercial vehicles, RVs, and ambulances in Taiwan. They not only serve RV brands but also offer RV improvement projects to everyone. Their ambulance brands include International Res-Q and Ambulance. With high levels of mechanical expertise and an efficient R&D team, ICU Automotive has successfully developed a wide range of practical skills and manufactured the entire spectrum of products, beginning with R&D and design. Their main products are ambulances, mobile dental units, and bloodmobiles. For the past few years, sterile mobile dental clinics have proven to be an innovative way of bringing dental care to those who otherwise may not have access to treatment. Using these high-quality mobile units, dentists can travel from place to place, taking care of the patients using modern equipment on board. In the ambulances, ergonomically designed interiors provide functionality, workability, and flexibility for the emergency medical crew every step of the way, while keeping the family in mind.
4. Innovations and Trends in Mobile Dental Units
There are some trends and innovations in the mobile dental unit industry, including expanded and more complex layouts, consideration of weight and balance in the vehicle’s design, and changing vehicle dimensions for function and efficiency. Expandable walls, allowing the vehicle to expand nearly double its size after reaching its destination, are now being offered by some manufacturers. This innovation challenges the traditional concept of mobile dental layouts that are to be used only while driving on the road, with the operator’s chair being located to face the driver’s seat. The new layouts can accommodate the operator and the passenger sitting face to face with enough elbow-to-elbow space. This significantly facilitates oral examinations and dental treatment. Other expanded-layout designs are created in partnership with hospitals, applied with equipment in oncology, transplantation surgeries, and blood donations.
Perhaps the most important innovation with mobile dental units is the pursuit of lightness, stiffness, and balance in the design of the trucks, making it possible to greatly reduce the vehicle’s compact dimensions, energize a van with less fuel, and meet international transport standards. New mobile units with sliding armchairs aided by electric traction on rails are also coming on the market. The new dental vans are based on accessory systems like a hydraulic lift, a recessed floor, and an elevator that makes treatment easy, comfortable, and even enjoyable for patients with wheelchairs. Opening times can be reduced by the use of software systems applicable to mobile vans that make it possible to manage queues, appointments, checkups, diagnostics, blood sampling, and organize work on little panels with alerts and requests to conduct a consultation.
5. Case Studies and Success Stories
Mobile Dental Units: A Comprehensive Guide to Manufacturers and Innovations
Upon recognizing the vast number of underserved individuals in Philadelphia, the Kornberg School of Dentistry expanded its curriculum to include an innovative and extraordinary patient care program on wheels, the Temple University Dental Care Mobile. The program was created in response to the demand for dental care services throughout the community. Since 2011, the UDCM has offered mobile dental care to hundreds of children and has become an essential community program that embraces Temple University’s mission to develop and maintain community relationships.
The Orange County School District takes advantage of its investment in three mobile dental buses. Each of these buses is a fully equipped dental clinic-on-wheels. The Orange County School Board, along with government administrators and elected officials, has joined a partnership with local NGOs for the Better Start Initiative. At-risk youth, children aged 0-5, and middle school students at Santa Ana and five other similar schools in Orange County now have exposure and access to the more than $3 million school-based health center and three mobile dental buses.