Using a Mobile Dental Clinic to Deliver Basic Dental Services in Nassau and Suffolk Counties

In 2009, approximately 250,000 residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties were uninsured and living at incomes less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

In addition, many of those who did have health insurance, including the Medicare population, did not have dental benefits. For the elderly and others who are at low-income levels, lack of dental insurance creates a significant barrier to receiving oral health services. Access to dental care in these counties is further exacerbated by a lack of dental programs offering affordable fees based on income levels and/or accepting Medicaid. This project attempted to integrate oral health with systemic health by identifying high-risk populations who lack dental care, and delivering basic dental services to these populations using a Mobile Dental Clinic.