Delivering dentistry
P.E.I. hygienist offers uncommon at-home dental cleanings
CARDIGAN, P.E.I. – People facing mobility issues or lacking transportation may often miss out on dental care, but that’s no longer the case in P.E.I., thanks to a registered dental hygienist who offers home visits.
Meredith Riley, owner and operator of Island Mobile Dental Hygiene, is one of the very few, if not the only one in Prince Edward Island, offering teeth-cleaning services right in people's homes or living facilities.
Riley said since starting her business in July of last year, she has heard from clients about how her service has been helping them and the growing need for dental hygienists to travel to patients and provide care in the comfort of their homes.
“It is heartwarming. I do feel a kinship with a lot of people who have dental anxieties and or mobility issues. I feel for them. And I do want to provide this service for those type of people and they seem to appreciate it and it is a good feeling,” she told Saltwire in a recent interview.
INSPIRATION
The idea for Island Mobile Dental Hygiene came from her grandmother, who lived in a long-term care facility for nearly 15 years.
During this time, Riley said she observed a gap in the oral health care her grandmother received. And then last year, she learned about registered dental hygienists being able to work independently, including offering mobile services.
“So, I hit the ground running right away. And we were able to get everything and open up within a few short months.”
She now has a complete mobile setup to provide comprehensive dental cleaning services. This setup includes a portable dental unit shaped like a suitcase, equipped with a built-in air compressor, water system, suction and drainage for wastewater.
Part of the setup is an ultrasonic scaler that uses high frequency vibrations and water flow to clean the teeth efficiently, along with all the hand tools commonly used in a regular dental office.
For each client visit, Riley
packs everything into the back of her SUV and quickly sets up at their home.
“Right now, I'm using the back of my car, but soon I'll have an ambulance setup – a bus type thing – where people can come into my vehicle and receive treatment there
“It is heartwarming. I do feel a kinship with a lot of people who have dental anxieties and or mobility issues. I feel for them. And I do want to provide this service for those type of people.” Meredith Riley
… whatever works better for them,” she said.
‘THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE’
At first, Riley mainly focused on offering services to those living in senior homes and long-term care facilities. However, she said her client base has expanded and now anyone can benefit from her services.
That includes Jaime Donaldson and her family, who live in Warren Grove.
Donaldson said upon learning about Riley's mobile teeth cleaning services, she wanted to reach out because she was interested in teeth whitening for herself and, particularly, wanted to schedule the service for her husband.
“Getting my husband to go to the dentist and get a teeth cleaning can be challenging.
It's hard for him to make time during his day to go. And so Meredith was very accommodating with his schedule, which was great,” Donaldson said.
“The entire time it was very relaxed. And she was even playing some music. And we got to talk, and the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable, which is not something you hear every day about a teeth cleaning.”
She also wanted her children to see a teeth cleaning session to show them that it's nothing to be scared of, Donaldson said.
Currently, Riley runs her business three days a week and works at a clinic for two days. Payment for her mobile services is handled the same as it would be in a traditional dental clinic.
She is planning to expand her customer base and hopes to eventually transition to running her mobile dental hygiene clinic full time.