Nursing home residents frequently face logistical challenges that prevent them from receiving dental care at a clinic. Our program aims to increase access to oral health care services for low-income nursing home residents within a 65-mile radius of San Antonio through a mobile dentistry program.

Methods: The Holistic Oral Health Program for Elders (HOPE) works with nursing homes in South Texas to provide comprehensive dental care to low-income and uninsured facility residents at no cost. Furthermore, our program takes an interdisciplinary approach to patient care by working in interprofessional teams and educating nursing aides on the residents’ oral health and hygiene. Our team consists of dentists, dental hygienists, and assistants specializing in public health to lead the program and improve oral health outcomes in elders living in nursing homes. The program operates five days a week and provides care through mobile dentistry for approximately eight hours per day. The team rotates through 2-3 nursing homes at a time to provide dental care to those in need.

Results: The multi-year program is currently enrolled in 48 nursing homes. Our dental team has seen and treated patients who would not have had access to care otherwise due to financial or physical limitations. The HOPE program was well received by HOPE patients, families, social workers, and nursing home administrators.

Conclusions: Our program improves the oral and overall health of the individuals receiving care by increasing access to oral health care, decreasing oral conditions/diseases, eliminating pain, and restoring function. The HOPE program will continue to work with San Antonio area nursing homes to provide access to care and to improve the oral health landscape at nursing homes by providing oral health training opportunities to nursing home staff and family members.

Speakers:
 ◦ Suman Challa, DDS, MSPH, Associate Dean, Advanced Education and Strategic Initiatives and Program Director, DPH Residency Program, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
◦ Rochisha Singh Marwaha, DDS, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, DPH Residency Program, UT Health San AntonioSchool of Dentistry

Conference 2023