Mecklenburg County rolls out mobile dental unit to bring free care to uninsured kids at school

Mecklenburg County Public Health has launched its first mobile dental program — a traveling unit that pulls up to schools and puts a dentist, a hygienist, and an X-ray machine within reach of children whose families have no realistic way to get there themselves.

The unit opened in November 2024, according to QCity Metro, which covered the launch. It serves children ages 1 through 17 and focuses on those with no health insurance or Medicaid coverage, as well as children in parts of the county where health and dental care are hard to reach.

The primary focus of this vehicle is to go into the community and meet the community where they are. The families, when they return home, don't have to worry about that additional burden in trying to seek out dental care, or just health care, in general.— Raydiance Swanston, Mecklenburg County pediatric dental clinic manager

The mobile unit carries three dental chairs and an X-ray imaging machine and is staffed by a full-time dentist and a dental hygienist. It is scheduled to visit 15 Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, providing screenings, exams, and comprehensive dental care at no cost to eligible students.

The unit is one piece of a broader county program called Meck Health In Action, which uses two mobile clinical units and one mobile dental unit to bring public health services into neighborhoods. The fixed-location counterpart, MeckDental, serves uninsured and underinsured county residents ages 0–17 on a sliding-fee scale tied to household income, according to mecknc.gov.

Swanston told QCity Metro there is a 'significant need' for the program, particularly among Black and Hispanic children, who face higher risk of complications from untreated dental problems. Untreated tooth decay, she said, can create long-term health consequences — and in the short term, tooth pain drives students out of classrooms.

What happens in your oral health really impacts your overall health. Many people [don't] realize it's one body, and it's all connected.— Raydiance Swanston, Mecklenburg County pediatric dental clinic manager

The county spent two years planning the mobile unit, a timeline stretched by the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions, according to a Public Health statement reported by QCity Metro. Funding came from county dollars alongside contributions from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Oral Health Foundation and the North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative.

Fees for MeckDental services — at the fixed clinic — are set by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners and can change each fiscal year, according to mecknc.gov. The mobile school visits are free for eligible students.

Swanston said the county hopes to expand the mobile program to serve adults within the next three years.

Why it matters — For uninsured and underinsured families in Mecklenburg County, the mobile unit removes the transportation and scheduling barriers that have long kept children from receiving dental care that directly affects their health and ability to stay in school.

Reported by mecknc.gov, charlotteobserver.com, qcitymetro.com