MONTOURSVILLE, Pa. — Geisinger Health System recently unveiled a new mobile dental unit at the Geisinger location in Montoursville. The van will be driven across our area to provide no-cost dental care to children.
"The mobile unit is primarily used for preventative diagnostic services. We are trying to be a medium to provide education and early prevention care to our members, primarily the pediatric population," said Dr. Michael Halupa.
The 38-foot long van is outfitted with two fully equipped operation areas. The van offers a number of dental services.
"We will bring the patients in and I will do the examination and we will provide cleaning services, prophylactic services, we have radiographs, we have the ability to do a panograph as well, sealants and fluoride therapy."
Geisinger officials hope the van will help provide services to folks who had their appointments canceled because of COVID-19.
"At Geisinger clinics, a couple thousand patients were put on backlog and had to be canceled and we are working that backlog down."
Although the bus is fully equipped like a dental office, walking space is very tight, so care providers say they are doing everything they can to sanitize and stay socially distant.
"We try to get as much airflow as we can, we keep the doors open as much as we can, we are wiping down the chairs in the operatories between patients and we try to social distance."
Geisinger's mobile dental unit will be in Montoursville every Tuesday for the remainder of August. If you would like to schedule an appointment you can send an email to mobiledentalunit@geisinger.edu.