FAQs

Why is dental care so important?
Oral health is the highest correlation to overall health! Dental care is important for everyone, and especially important for those with health complications. High quality dental care ensures that an untreated infection from the mouth does not impact the rest of the patient's body. Also, helping a patient keep their oral health intact will be contributing to the patient's ability to feel comfortable in social settings, and ultimately, their quality of life.

Does the dental work happen in a Winnebago, RV or trailer?
No. Our mobile equipment is moved into the facility, where care is provided in a treatment room in order to ensure patient comfort and privacy.

What are the credentials of DHS's dentists and staff?
All our staff are carefully screened. Once on board, they participate in our training to learn about providing care to special needs populations. Our dentists have indicated that their clinical skills have grown by working with the diverse patient groups DHS serves.

Who does DHS most commonly serve?
We serve patients in a wide variety of long-term care and assisted livings settings, including the elderly, physically and/or mentally disabled, ventilator-dependent patients, persistent mentally ill, adult developmentally disabled, adult males alcoholics, Parkinson's patients, Alzheimer's patients, dementia patients, and others with special needs.

What is DHS's geographical service area?
We provide service throughout the state of Minnesota, including Anoka, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington and Wright counties. Our 2008 expansion will take us beyond these counties!

What if patients have special needs (are on a ventilator, have limited mobility, etc.)?
Our dentists are specially trained to effectively deal with many types of patients. Family members have often been impressed with the creative methods utilized by our dentists to provide care to special needs patients.

Why are residents in long-term care settings sometimes denied quality dental care?
Unfortunately, dental care for those on medical assistance with long-term care needs is not a priority for insurance carriers or the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Although patients and their families are painfully aware of this fact, this information is often new to the general public. Barriers to service include difficulty in transporting patients outside of their facilities, and payment rates are too low for general practitioners to provide needed care and cover their costs. DHS is specially equipped to serve patients in long-term care settings, right inside their own home. But, as a non-profit organization we depend on the support of those in communities we serve to keep our service active and providing care to these desperately underserved populations. We need your help to sustain this effort.

How does DHS survive financially when serving many patients on medical assistance?
Doorstep Healthcare Services’s sources of secured financial support includes reliable income from long-term care facilities fees, medical assistance and insurance reimbursement. We recognize the effect that individual contributors have on our future financial success and realize the value of retaining dependable means of financial support. We are currently building our network of financial support to include corporate and foundation funding and private donations. Donate now!

How can I support DHS?
You can support our work in a variety of ways: donate your time by joining out board or hosting a house party to educate others about our mission, and/or provide needed financial support!

How is insurance and/or medical assistance verification handled?
DHS (through On Call Clinicians, Inc.) provides all the services of a traditional dental office, including verifying coverage through insurance and/or medical assistance, managing follow-up care, obtaining consent, communicating with patients' families, and processing billing.