Free mobile dental clinic rolls into Pittsburgh

For the eighth year, a mobile dental clinic is back in Pittsburgh, providing free preventive dental care for those living in underserved communities. 

Highmark and Highmark Wholecare teamed up with United Concordia Dental to provide the Healthy Smiles for Miles statewide mobile dental tour, targeting children insured by Medicaid and CHIP.

Dental service, including X-rays, cleanings and full exams, was available to children on Medicaid and people 20 years or younger insured by Highmark Wholecare.

The mobile clinic was set up in Bellevue on Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., serving around 50 children and families.

"Dental care is life-changing care and for most people it doesn't just end at health," said Maddie Goerl, the public relations analyst for Highmark Wholecare. "It's your smile, it's your confidence." 

The goal of the clinic is to bring dental services directly into communities and help expand access to preventative care while helping families establish healthy habits that support lifelong health and well-being. For many people, they face barriers with cost or where they live.

"A lot of folks are still not getting dental care. We know there are additional barriers to care, maybe transportation — every family is different, so by bringing the care to the communities, we hope we can reach them," said Goerl.