Mobile Dental Care In PDX- What it is and Where to Access it

 

Background

In 2023, the local non-profit organization Central City Concern (CCC) launched the Mobile Health program to help those struggling with homelessness. Under this program, two mobile health vans provide care to Portland's homeless population. The program was done as part of a collaboration with the Non-profit organization Medical Teams International (MTI). The vans are operated by the two organizations, with CCC offering primary care services while MTI provides dental. These vans arrived in 2024, and are currently active in providing care to the community on a schedule. 

Independently from this program, MTI offers urgent mobile dental care to various communities in Oregon and Washington. In Oregon, they provide service to Tualatin, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Vancouver, Oregon City, Eastport, Gresham, Vancouver, and Portland. 

How It Works 

The mobile clinics provide care free of charge. Patients who lack dental insurance, are underinsured, and cannot afford or access emergency dental treatments are eligible. It is important to note that some sites could potentially have further eligibility requirements. These vans rely on volunteer professionals in the dental hygiene space who donate their time to help citizens. Currently, they are only offering urgent dental procedures such as extractions or fillings for patients with bleeding, pain, or swelling. However, they are considering less urgent services, such as dental cleanings, provided they can find volunteers for it. It is unknown at this point if or when this might be enacted.

Patients are screened for COVID-19 symptoms before being allowed to enter the intake tent. If they are exhibiting at-risk symptoms, they will be turned away. At the intake tent, the patients complete paperwork before being seen inside the mobile clinic. 

Where to access it

The mobile clinics are available at different locations on different days. The CCC mobile healthcare vans operate Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm. They visit sanctioned and unsanctioned camps, congregate shelters, motel shelters, and day centers. MTI's clinics are far easier to track than the former. They operate on a schedule that can be accessed on MTI's website using the provided link: here. Additionally, they also offer numbers to call to schedule appointments at each location. 

Conclusion 

Those in need of urgent medical care without access to the traditional means of care have options. These mobile health clinics provide important care and resources to anyone in dire need of assistance. However, those afflicted with COVID-19 should wait before seeking dental care. Similarly, some clinics may have stipulations for eligibility. For more information, see this article's sources. 

Sources:

KGW Staff. (16AD). Central City Concern Launches Mobile Health Program for People Experiencing Homelessness. kgw.com. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/solutions/central-city-concern-mobile-health-people-experiencing-homelessness/283-b16a93fb-98bc-457b-8ab7-5f456cce5734 

Mobile Health - Health Location. Central City Concern. (2024, December 18). https://centralcityconcern.org/health-care-location/mobile-health/ 

Mobile Dental Program. Medical Teams International. (2025, January 29). https://www.medicalteams.org/how-we-heal/mobile-dental-program/ 

         Noreen, K. (2024, September 18). Mobile Community Dental Care offers compassion and connection.                 WhatcomTalk. https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2024/09/24/mobile-community-dental-care-offers-                           compassion-and-connection/

Fluoride in Portland: How this Major Resource can Impact Dental Health

Portland’s History with Fluoride

Portland is the largest city in the United States that does not have fluoride in its water. The topic was highly debated by the city in the early 2000s, and a loud majority of voters argued against the chemical due to its potential adverse health effects and the lack of personal freedom regarding the issue. A 2013 vote confirmed that Portlanders did not want fluoride included in their water, although city officials continue to push for its addition.

https://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-oregon-water-fluoridation-history-explained/

Benefits of Fluoride

Daily intake of fluoride has been proven to increase bone density, thus acting as a preventative measure toward cavities. It also kills off harmful bacteria in the mouth and helps re-mineralize cavities that may already exist. The main fear of fluoridation is that people will consume too much, but that is a rare occurrence that tends to affect children who swallow higher concentrated dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash. Since Portland is the largest city without fluoride in its water, it is clear that fluoride can be utilized in a safe and healthy way.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6195894/

The Impact on Houseless Individuals

This seems cut and dry. Especially as inflation continues to spike the costs of dental hygiene products, drinking city water with fluoride is the cheapest way for homeless people to care for their oral hygiene. Since we are one of the few cities that provides public drinking fountains, adding fluoride to their water would greatly benefit those who use it, without impacting homeowners who do not want their water fluoridized. As Portlanders, it is vital that we care for our neighbors, and adding fluoride to certain water sources may be the first step to offering a helping hand.

Chronic Illness Due to ADDICTION in Homelessness

 

Addiction:

    Addiction can affect people of different ages, genders, and races. While some individuals manage to prevent their addiction from worsening, many struggle to overcome it. The way drugs and alcohol compel individuals to return to harmful habits demonstrates how strongly addiction can grip one’s life. Often, people are not fully educated on the long-term health consequences of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use. Among individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction can lead to a lack of access to healthcare, delayed treatment, and an increased risk of infectious diseases, resulting in both physical and emotional health issues. These effects are often visible through physical signs such as tooth decay and poor oral health.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4453891/

Factors Associated with Tooth Decay:

    In a study of 350 homeless adults in 2018, illicit substance use from cocaine, cannabis, opioids, methamphetamine, and the use of nicotine/tobacco was significant in those who lost more than half of their teeth compared to those who lost less than half of their teeth. The significance was around 20%. This is justified by how drugs and alcohol can "diminished salivary flow and altered salivary composition, which can exacerbate upper respiratory irritation, including gastric acid regurgitation, further worsening oral health." 

https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1111/jphd.12288

How Can We Improve Oral Healthcare?

Increasing access to affordable dental care through community health centers or mobile dental clinics can help individuals who are unable to travel long distances or rely on walking. This approach would improve oral healthcare and educate those who are unaware of their conditions, helping to prevent their illnesses from worsening. Having access to a provider who is familiar within the community may create long-term trust and connections with the homeless population, encouraging other public health providers to follow their example. In fact, there are many mobile clinics around Portland and Washington. Click the link below to find the location and time of each clinic.

https://www.medicalteams.org/emergency-dental-clinics/

Food is Medicine: A Lack of Healthy Fresh Food Can Lead to Dental Decay

 

The issue at hand:

Food insecurity is an issue within the houseless community that can lead to a multiplicity of other issues. One of these

major issues is dental decay. “Limited food choices likely contribute to multiple nutritional risks identified in unsheltered

populations, including inadequate micronutrient intake and low consumption of core food groups, such as fruits and

vegetables”. Without proper nutritional foods and inconsistencies in meal availability dental decay begins to happen,

leading to even more difficulties with eating proper nutritious foods. “Dental issues that caused avoidance of certain foods

were commonly reported (43.1%) with hard fruits (30.4%), raw vegetables (25%), and meat (20.7%) being the most

frequent types of foods avoided.”

https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12130

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10609710/#sec1-nutrients-15-04417

What is being done:

                One initiative set up to address these issues is the “Food is Medicine at Iron Gate” project.“The first phase consisted of a

two-part nutrition needs assessment that was followed by a second phase menu standards redesign. These formative

planning activities were included in the project timeline to help ensure the final healthy menu re-design would be acceptable

for Iron Gate guests, feasible for Iron Gate staff to implement, and financially sustainable”. Programs like these not only

provide healthy food access with dignity, but allow feedback from the communities they serve to create healthier, nutritious,

and tailored meals for the houseless community. The feedback they received also includes requests from those with dental

issues and the foods they avoided due to dental issues. “Due to the frequent occurrence of dental issues in this population,

culinary staff should be trained on strategies for preparing fruits and vegetables that are easier to chew, such as finely

shredding, blending, mashing, and even possibly juicing techniques.” Programs such as these are important in taking care

of the houseless community. All of us are people who deserve access to nutritious reliable food that keeps us healthy. “To

improve the dietary intake of the homeless population, understanding the factors driving this group's eating habits is crucial.

A limited body of literature addresses homeless people's experiences of food insecurity and suggests that multiple and

complex factors underpin food consumption; lack of income and access to food storage and preparation facilities stand out

as factors governing food choices”. Learning about these issues is the first step towards a solution. Action such as

volunteering or donating can help to better our urban community as a whole. Find ways to help your community of Portland

Oregon in the links below!

https://www.lifturbanportland.org/volunteer 

https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/get-involved/give

https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2018.1484315

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J013v16n01_04