Second Mobile Dental Unit Unveiled to Help Oklahomans In Need

A second mobile dental care unit will soon roll across the state to provide low to no-cost dental care to those in need.

On Tuesday, Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation and Oklahoma Dental Foundation unveiled the second mobile dental unit to meet the demand for affordable dental care in Oklahoma.

"Every day, thousands of Oklahomans or their children wake up with dental pain and face barriers to the dental care they need," said John Gladden, president of Delta Dental of Oklahoma. "The mission of this partnership is to eliminate those financial, geographical and situational barriers to dental care access."

Formerly known as the ODF Mobile Dental Care Program, MobileSmiles Oklahoma will now utilize two mobile dental units that travel throughout Oklahoma on site visits organized through a local site partner, typically a nonprofit organization, church, school or agency. Site partners pre-qualify and schedule prospective patients who may otherwise not have access to dental care.

"Cost is often a barrier to dental care for the uninsured, working poor, unemployed and those on fixed incomes," Gladden said. "But there are also opportunity costs such as lost wages from taking time off to travel to the nearest dentist who may be 90 minutes away."

The new mobile dental unit will embark on its first three missions to serve patients in Norman, Ada and Coalgate this week.

Find out more information about MobileSmiles Oklahoma.