Dentistry ranks in the top 10 most ethical and trusted professions in the entire United States, and many millions of American adults and children alike go to the dentist once or twice per year for care. Most often, a family will look for a new dental office when their current one closes or if the family moves to a new city or county. Finding dental care often means conducting an online search to find the best rated and most trusted dental offices in the area, and searches like “dentist near me” can be refined based on the client’s own needs. They may search “top rated pediatric dentists near me,” or they may look for a family dentist office in particular. And what is more, some clients may look for a mobile dental office in particular, and a mobile dental office may be the only option for some clients. What can a mobile dental office offer, and what does routine cosmetic dental care entail?
Finding the Right Dental Care
Most often, Americans get their dental care when they visit a building that houses a dental office in it, and these offices can be found with an online search, as described above. When someone is looking for a new dentist, they can find a whole list of local practices, and visit them personally to evaluate them. Over the phone or online, the client can ensure that a given practice accepts their health insurance policy, and if so, visit. At the office in person, the client can get a clear impression of how clean, well-run, and professional that practice is, and the client can also consult the dentists and dental assistants who work there. The client may check the staff’s credentials, patient reviews, work history, and awards or recognition as well.
Meanwhile, if the client is looking for a pediatric dentist or family dentist, they may want to bring along their child for this. The child will get a chance to form his or her own impression, and if the child feels comfortable there and gets along with the staff, that dental practice may be a good candidate. The family may repeat this process any number of times until they find the best one for their needs, and sign up.
What about a mobile dental office? This describes when a large van or a small RV has been refitted to become a small dental office, and although a mobile dental office only offers bare-bones dental care, for many patients, this is sufficient. A client may look for mobile dental office because they lack proper transportation to a dental office, and they don’t want to simply miss out on dental care. Or, other clients for a mobile dental office are very busy work professionals or college students who do not have the time to visit a dental office and come back, so they have the dentist come to them. For routine and basic cleaning and exams, a client may look online and call a mobile dental office, and arrange when and where the dentist will visit them for dental care. This might be done at the client’ work site, college campus, or even in a parking lot near the client’s residence.
Basic Care and Cosmetics
Routine cleaning and checkups are possible both at a dental office and a mobile dental office, and it may also involve taking X-rays of the patient’s teeth. Patients may have braces fitted onto their teeth if need be, and children can have sealant applied to their teeth to protect them in the future.
There’s also the field of cosmetic dentistry. Tooth whitening is popular, as discolored teeth are considered ugly by most standards, so gels and toothpastes can be used at the office or at home. Dental implants are also common, such as discreet plastic retainers that help a patient’s teeth straighten out. Replica crowns can be fitted onto cracked or worn-out teeth to restore their shape and protect the damaged enamel, and dental bridges can restore an entire lost tooth. Once fitted into a tooth gap and secured with covers that slip over nearby real teeth, dental bridges can restore a person’s smile. They can also make eating and speech easier, with that gap filled.