MOBILE PRACTITIONER---AN EVOLUTION IN THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY

As dentistry is changing and evolving, so are the ways some practitioners prefer to practice.  I’ve recently read of one manifestation of the various changes in practice, the mobile dental implant practitioner.  These dentists work in a number of offices, often 12 to 15 different locations, bringing with them their dental assistant, instruments, equipment, medicaments, and materials.  The traveling dentist must be well organized and flexible in order to transport safely all items necessary to work in a different dental office every day.  Further, the resident dentist and the mobile dentist must be comfortable and trusting with one another’s treatment modalities and interactions with patients.

The mobile implant practitioner is not a specialty because currently no such designation exists.  If a dentist practicing in a single office location were to choose limitation of his or her practice to implant services, lack of referrals would make that nearly impossible.  If however, that dentist is willing to be mobile, he or she can stay fully scheduled because many GPs and specialists now prefer to keep all care in-house.  Additionally, most patients prefer to be treated in the office with which they are familiar, and the coordination of treatment planning and execution of procedures is smoother between the implant practitioner and the referring dentist when they are both in the same office.

While the idea of bringing a mobile practitioner into your office to treat your patients may not appeal to you, be aware that the services of mobile practitioners are increasing.  At some point you may find that bringing a mobile practitioner into your office is both cost effective and stress reducing.