Nine-year-old Xander Sanders shifted a handheld mirror in quick movements — checking his mom behind him, reflecting light on the wall, then back to his open mouth where plaque was being cleaned.
Xander’s mom, Dayna Clark, 33, from Beltzhoover, admitted that he has always been the least eager brusher among her three sons. That is why she felt relieved to bring him in for a dental checkup on Tuesday.
Xander was one of about 50 children and adults treated at a mobile pop-up dental clinic held at AHN Suburban Hospital in Bellevue. After the appointment, Ms. Sanders received a detailed printed report of the findings. This will help when Xander visits his regular dentist later this month — an appointment he has waited nine months to get. The report showed cavities found during his last visit and new ones detected at Tuesday’s exam.
The Smiles for Miles mobile dental clinic is now in its seventh year. Hosted by Highmark Wholecare and United Concordia Dental, it offers free preventive dental services such as exams, cleanings, X-rays, and fluoride treatments. These services are available to Highmark CHIP and Highmark Wholecare members.
Mobile dental care, along with telemedicine, has grown in popularity in recent years. This growth aims to fill gaps caused by what state officials and dental experts call Pennsylvania’s “dental desert.” The state faces a shortage of dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants.
Several factors contribute to this shortage. Many dentists are retiring, some leave for higher-paying jobs in other states, and fewer students are graduating from dental schools. According to a dental health study released in January 2023 by Pennsylvania’s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, the number of dental providers in the state dropped by 7% from 2001 to 2021.
A 2021 report from the American Dental Association warns that at the current rate, the number of dentists in Pennsylvania will not recover until 2040.
“Without regular dental check-ups and consistent home care, problems like cavities and gum disease can develop and worsen,” said Roosevelt Allen, chief dental officer of United Concordia Dental. He added that poor dental health can affect overall health.
Several hygienists traveled long distances to staff the mobile clinic on Tuesday. Diana Sotelo, who cleaned Xander’s teeth, flew in from El Paso, Texas. Others took time off from their regular dental jobs in New Mexico and California to volunteer, said Courtney Dickinson, a United Concordia Dental analyst from Harrisburg who coordinated the clinic.
The mobile clinic operates from a tractor-trailer equipped with three dental chairs and two X-ray stations. It was fully booked, according to Clinton Rhodes, Highmark Wholecare’s regional manager for community engagement. While the clinic could not accept walk-ins, it allowed many people to see a dentist months earlier than planned.
After Bellevue, the mobile clinic will travel to Beaver Falls and several other underserved communities across Pennsylvania this summer. It will return to Pittsburgh in early August. Highmark CHIP and Highmark Wholecare members can make appointments a few weeks before the clinic arrives in their town.
Since 2019, the Smiles for Miles program has provided nearly 13,000 free dental procedures to over 2,220 Pennsylvanians.
Despite the small space inside the trailer, the dental team worked efficiently. Dentist James Thomas from Fort Indiantown Gap moved quickly between exam stations. Hygienists Diana Sotelo and Brandi Crothers from Jersey Shore, Pa., carefully navigated the tight quarters while managing patient paperwork and treatment.
Ms. Sotelo said many patients expressed gratitude for the clinic’s visit, sharing that they had not seen a dentist in years. She recalled a patient who is an attorney admitting he had not had a dental checkup in 20 years.
For many patients, the mobile clinic is their only dental care option.
Upcoming stops for the clinic include:
- Beaver Falls (July 9)
- Chambersburg (July 11, August 7 and 8)
- Johnstown (July 10)
- Harrisburg (July 12, August 9)
- York (July 14, August 11)
- Lancaster (July 15, August 12)
- Lebanon (July 16, August 13 and 14)
- Reading (July 17)
- Allentown (July 18, August 15)
- Pittsburgh at AHN Suburban Bellevue (August 5 and 6)