PROVIDENCE – Like all other dentists in the state, Wisdom Tooth, a mobile practice that serves patients in Rhode Island nursing homes, paused its services in mid-March when Gov. Gina M. Raimondo ordered dentists’ offices closed as she sought to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“That meant that our patients who are frail, older adults who live in nursing facilities were at risk of having no access to dental care,” said Christine Gadbois, CEO of CareLink, a nonprofit and Wisdom Tooth’s parent organization.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
Wisdom Tooth serves about 3,000 nursing residents in 55 facilities across the state.
Visits switched to telephone or video consultations, although Dr. James Hosmer, Wisdom Tooth’s head dentist, remained ready to don protective gear and head into nursing facilities in case of an emergency.
Hosmer now sees about four to six patients a week via telemedicine, treating patients for complaints such as tooth pain or mouth sores. Hosmer, along with other staff members, is bracing for a rush of appointments once restrictions on dentists ease.
“We’re going to have a lot of checkups to do. Our dental hygienists haven’t been able to do cleanings and our dentists haven’t been able to do cancer screenings or denture fittings,” Gadbois said.
At least one issue, though, was quickly resolved last week when a woman called on behalf of her elderly mother, who was in desperate need of her dentures. Staff members found they’d done the initial visits, and the dentures were delivered to the patient’s Westerly nursing home.
