Start a Mobile Dentistry Service

Homebound seniors and busy workplaces are chronically underserved, and mobile setups cost a fraction of a full practice buildout.

1. 1

   Verify mobile practice rules

   Your dental license carries over, but many states require a separate mobile dental facility or portable operation permit. Call your state board before you buy anything.

2. 2

   Sign an anchor account first

   Get a nursing home, school district, or employer to commit in writing to recurring visit days. The anchor account de-risks the entire equipment spend.

3. 3

   Choose portable or van

   Portable units plus a hygienist can start around $20,000 to $40,000; a fitted van runs several times that. Match the buildout to what your anchor account actually needs.

4. 4

   Set up billing and credentialing

   Form the entity, carry malpractice written for mobile settings, and credential with Medicaid and the payers your facility population carries. Facility contracts can supplement fee-for-service billing.

5. 5

   Build infection-control protocols

   Document sterilization, water line, and transport protocols that meet state rules from day one. Facilities will ask, and inspections happen.

6. 6

   Run recurring routes and expand

   Schedule standing monthly visit days per facility, then add a hygienist or a second facility as the calendar fills. Density on a route is where the margin is.