A new state-of-the-art mobile health unit is making its way to underserved children in South Florida, offering free oral health screenings, assessments and exams, all supported by telehealth connectivity with care providers at Nicklaus Children’s main campus. The 40-foot mobile unit is Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s latest endeavor to assist families in need as part of its vision “to be where the children are” in South Florida and beyond.
“We recognize that many children in our community are in critical need of dental screenings and follow up care,” said Dr. Narendra Kini, CEO of Miami Children’s Health System. “This program makes possible the ability to extend our services to families in need. As champions for children, we are proud to bring this vision to life,” he said.
“Our goal is to provide early intervention and reduce complications by bringing our services directly to the communities that need them most. We are so excited to make this a reality, and look forward to changing the lives of children in our communities,” said Dr. Rosie Roldan, Medical Director of the
Department of Dentistry at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
The mobile unit is equipped with two dental operatory suites as well as state-of-the-art
telehealth equipment that enables communication between the unit-based providers and dental colleagues at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to support patient care.
Each week, two dental assistants, a dental resident and a pediatric dentist, will be stationed in various locations in the community, such as Homestead and Miami Gardens, to provide services for uninsured children from birth to 12 years of age. In addition to screenings and exams, services can include varnish treatments, dental sealants, oral and health hygiene education as well as referrals for follow-up oral treatment, as needed.
Mobile Dental Unit Locations
For more information on the dental unit’s locations please call 786-779-1647.
This free program is made possible thanks to the support of generous community philanthropists. For more information on supporting programs like this one, please visit www.mchf.org.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Your Child Matters Most ™ (2025)
For 75 years, Nicklaus Children's has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children serving close to 70 percent of children in the Miami metropolitan community. In addition, Nicklaus Children's offers care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center's De George Pediatric Unit and select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units. The hospital and its network of more of nearly 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. These outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care, and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children's is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children's is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children's Orthopedics, Sports Health and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children's Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. The 325-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with over 40 specialties, and an ambulatory surgery center.