MDCA
Making Dental Care Accessible for People with Complex Needs: The Role of Mobile Dentistry
Accessing dental care is not always straightforward.
For many people living with complex cognitive, behavioural, medical, or social needs, what might seem like a routine appointment can present real challenges. These challenges are often not about willingness, but about whether the environment and model of care are suited to the individual.
Mobile dentistry is helping to address this gap b yrethinking how and where care is delivered.
Understanding Barriers to Dental Care
People living with conditions such as dementia, neurocognitive disorders, physical disabilities, chronic illness, or menta lhealth conditions often face barriers that go beyond typical access issues.
These barriers can include physical limitations that make travel difficult, cognitive changes that affect communication or understanding, and heightened sensitivity to unfamiliar or clinical environments. Behavioural responses to anxiety or perceived threat can also make traditional dental settings difficult to navigate.
Research shows that individuals with additional care needs are significantly less likely to access routine dental services, often resulting in poorer oral health outcomes over time (Oishi et al., 2021). These barriers are rarely isolated. Instead, they tend to overlap, creating a compounding effect that makes accessing care increasingly difficult.
Traditional dental clinics, which can be busy, unfamiliar, and highly sensory environments, may contribute to distress or avoidance forthese individuals. As a result, oral health needs frequently go unmet.
A Shift Toward Person-Centred Care
Healthcare systems are increasingly recognising the importance of person-centred care. This approach focuses on tailoring services to the individual rather than expecting individuals to adapt to the system.
In dentistry, this can include creating a more supportive environment, allowing greater flexibility in appointments, adapting communication styles, and involving caregivers or support persons in the process.
Person-centred care is particularly important for individuals with complex needs, as their experiences and responses to healthcare environments can vary widely. Approaches that are flexible and responsive are more likely to result in positive outcomes and ongoing engagement with care.
Mobile dentistry aligns closely with this model by enabling care to be delivered in settings that are already familiar and comfortable to the patient.
How Mobile Dentistry Is Changing Access
Mobile dental services bring care directly to individuals in their homes, supported accommodation, or residential aged-care settings. This shift in delivery removes several of the most significant barriers to care.
By eliminating the need for travel, mobile dentistry supports individuals with mobility limitations or those who rely on others for transportation. It also avoids the challenges associated with navigating unfamiliar clinical environments.
Evidence indicates that mobile and domiciliary (home-based) dental services improve access to care for vulnerable populations and help reduce disparities in oral health outcomes (Gao et al., 2019; Kshirsagar et al.,2025). These models are particularly effective in reaching individuals who might otherwise not engage with traditional services.
In addition, providing care within the patient’s usual environment allows clinicians to better understand the individual’s daily context, which can inform more personalised and practical treatment approaches.
A Dementia Care Perspective: Why Environment Matters
For individuals living with dementia, the care environment plays a critical role in how services are experienced.
Changes in surroundings can lead to confusion, anxiety, and difficulty processing information. Clinical environments, with unfamiliar sights, sounds, and routines, can increase the likelihood of distress or behavioural responses.
In contrast, receiving care in a familiar environment can help reduce these challenges. Mobile dentistry allows clinicians to deliver care in settings where the individual feels safe and oriented.
Research into domiciliary dental care highlights that familiar environments and caregiver involvement can contribute to improved cooperation, reduced distress, and more effective communication (Rani et al.,2024). While evidence continues to develop, these findings reinforce the importance of adapting care delivery to the individual’s cognitive and emotional needs.
Supporting Caregivers and Care Teams
Many individuals with complex needs rely on caregivers, whether family members or professional support staff, to maintain daily routines and attend healthcare appointments.
Mobile dentistry makes it easier to include caregivers directly in the care process. This can involve providing practical advice on oral hygiene, demonstrating techniques, and identifying potential issues early.
Studies have shown that caregiver education and involvement can lead to improvements in oral health behaviours and outcomes, particularly in older adults and those living in care settings (Rani et al., 2024). When caregivers are supported, they are better equipped to maintain consistent oral care between professional visits.
This collaborative approach also helps build trust and continuity of care over time.
Creating Safer and More Inclusive Dental Experiences
Mobile dentistry is not just about convenience. At its core, it is about creating more equitable and inclusive access to care.
By adapting services to meet the needs of individuals, dental professionals can reduce anxiety, improve engagement, and ensure that care is delivered in a way that respects dignity and autonomy.
For people living with dementia or other complex conditions, these considerations are essential. Access to care must go beyond availability and consider how care is experienced.
Providing dental services in environments where individuals feel safe and supported can make the difference between receiving care and going without it entirely.
Looking Ahead
There is growing recognition that traditional, one-size-fits-all models of healthcare do not meet the needs of all patients. Flexible and adaptive approaches are becoming increasingly important, particularly as populations age and the prevalence of chronic and complex conditions rises.
Mobile dentistry represents a practical and scalable way to respond to these changes. It complements existing services while extending care to individuals who may otherwise remain underserved.
Continued research and investment will be important in strengthening the evidence base and ensuring that these services are sustainable and widely accessible.
Supporting Access, Comfort, and Dignity
Everyone deserves access to safe, respectful, and appropriate dental care.
By bringing services into familiar environments and adapting care to meet individual needs, mobile dentistry is helping ensure that people with complex needs are not left behind. It offers a more compassionate and effective way to deliver care, one that prioritises comfort, dignity, and inclusion alongside clinical outcomes.
References
Gao, S. S., Yon, M. J. Y., Chen, K. J., Duangthip, D., Lo,E. C. M., & Chu, C. H. (2019). Utilization of a mobile dental vehicle for oral healthcare in rural areas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7), 1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071234
Kshirsagar, M., Dodamani, A., Pimpale, S., Sachdev, S. S.,Patil, D., Ghadage, M., Shetty, U., & Khobrekar, H. (2025). Mobile dental clinics: Bringing smiles on wheels. Cureus, 17(5), e83873. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.83873
Oishi, M. M., Childs, C. A., Gluch, J. I., & Marchini,L. (2021). Delivery and financing of oral health care in long-term services andsupports: A scoping review. Journal of the American Dental Association, 152(3),215–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2020.10.025
Rani, H., Mohd-Dom, T. N., Meei, T. I., Rosli, M. S. A.,Quan, L. Z., Aziz, A. F. A., & Aun, N. S. M. (2024). Investigating the challenges and opportunities of domiciliary oral care for older adults: As coping review. Healthcare, 12(23), 2469. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232469
