The University at Buffalo (UB) School of Dental Medicine has unveiled a new mobile dental van, S-miles To Go.
The dental van is a 42-ft-long, three-chair dental clinic built on a semitrailer chassis, according to the university. It features a wheelchair lift, a panoramic x-ray unit, digital radiography, an intake/education area, and electronic patient records.
The UB dental school has served the oral health care needs of children in Chautauqua County for 15 years with its school-based mobile dental van. Chautauqua County is designated as a dental health professional shortage area, with few dentists serving Medicaid-eligible patients. UB's dental staff has provided care during 38,000 patient visits since 1997.
The dental unit was funded by a grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, and the Lenna Foundation, both of Jamestown, NY.
