HealthLawmakers Consider Plan to Expand Mobile Dental Units

Lawmakers Consider Plan to Expand Mobile Dental Units

-

- Advertisment -sslate

Similar to food trucks, where the food kind of comes to you, mobile dental units are used to expand access to care in hard-to-reach, low-income and other communities in need.

Proposals in the Legislature aim to help them expand their reach even more. The bills would allow all of what’s known as “Health Access Settings” or state programs or institutions, and accredited dental hygiene programs to be able to be able to contract with mobile dental units.

Chante Miller, a certified registered dental hygienist, said the change is welcomed because it is common for Health Access Settings such as a Head Start Center to be located 15 to 20 miles away from a brick-and-mortar dentist, and parents often cannot navigate coordinating transportation with their work schedules.

Mobile Dental Units

“They wouldn’t be able to afford to take off missing a day’s pay,” Miller explained. “That’s why it’s important to have mobile units that have the ability to go where those children are and families are to provide services to them instead.”

The proposal has a long list of supporters encouraging lawmakers to support the change, such as the Florida Dental Hygienists Association and Floridians for Dental Access. However, the Florida Dental Association, which is in communication with those organizations, said it is monitoring “to ensure that policies are not being implemented that could compromise mobile dental bus programs that are currently in place and effectively reaching communities.”

The proposal also clarifies the definition of a mobile dental unit and Miller pointed out it does not expand the scope of practice for dental hygienists. In fact, she noted some of the units can have just about everything you would find in a dental office, and some of them just have the essentials to provide basic hygiene care.

Mobile Dental Units

“They are able to get work without the presence of a dentist and those Health Access Settings, so if they are on the mobile unit, they can provide those health-access services to Head Start Centers without a dentist being present,” Miller emphasized. “Of course, for follow-up care, we refer them back to a dentist.”

Miller and others are hoping the proposal will advance in committees. It also calls for the Board of Dentistry to require persons applying to take dental hygiene examinations to maintain medical malpractice insurance in certain amounts. Florida leads the nation in the number of individuals living in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, with nearly six million.

Sunshine Slate
Sunshine Slatehttps://www.sunshineslate.com
Sunshine Slate is your news, entertainment, music fashion website. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the United States of America.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest news

Unlocking the Ultimate NFL Experience: Why StubHub Reigns Supreme for Season Tickets

When it comes to purchasing NFL season tickets, one platform stands out among the rest: StubHub.

Nurturing Ideas, Shaping Policy: The Vital Role of Think Tanks and Research Institutions in the USA

This article explores the crucial role that think tanks and research institutions play in the USA, delving into their functions, impact, and the challenges they face.

Best Apps and Games for your New Mobile Phone

We can install any app from the google play store very quickly. Let’s take a look at some most amazing apps for android mobile phones.

Florida Student groups defend Palestinian rights with lawsuits against state officials

The Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida are filing lawsuits against the deactivation orders
- Advertisement -

10 Best Practices for Managing Physical Records

Embracing these practices will empower organizations to navigate the ever-changing landscape of physical records management and safeguard their valuable historical assets.

The Benefits of Booking Your Holy Journey in Advance for 2024

If you are planning to do Umrah for the first time, several things might confuse you.
edealo.com
- Advertisement -sslate
transformerscon

Must read

Nurturing Ideas, Shaping Policy: The Vital Role of Think Tanks and Research Institutions in the USA

This article explores the crucial role that think tanks and research institutions play in the USA, delving into their functions, impact, and the challenges they face.

Best Apps and Games for your New Mobile Phone

We can install any app from the google play store very quickly. Let’s take a look at some most amazing apps for android mobile phones.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -sslate

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you