Improving the oral health of persons experiencing housing insecurity and seeking substance use treatment – a pilot program

People experiencing housing insecurity and substance use disorder (PEHaSUD) face various challenges in accessing good oral health. The dual effect of significant social determinants of health and substance side effects results in neglected oral health and complications. To address these needs, we launched an oral health program with a trained community health worker (CHW) who engaged with PEHaSUD during our local mobile health clinics. The CHW provided education on oral health care, offered informative handouts, supplied oral health kits, and as needed, helped with finding and coordinating appointments with dental offices. CHW interventions were recorded in RedCap, and a survey was conducted to explore patient outcomes. Of the 627 patients at the mobile health clinics, 568 (90.6%) engaged with the CHW and 82.8% of patients who reported needing a dental appointment were scheduled. A sample of participants (n = 98) who engaged with the oral health initiative completed a survey and were highly satisfied, reporting positive experiences, and found the services offered very helpful. Our CHW-integrated program presents a low cost and impactful model to address oral health needs for PEHaSUD. With this approach, most patients are actively receiving oral health education/supplies and are satisfied with the program.