Over the course of two decades, A-B Tech dental hygiene alumnus AnneMarie Miller noticed a change in her older patients. When they transitioned into long-term care facilities and lost manual dexterity, their teeth began to rapidly decline. Miller, 46, soon realized that her patients were struggling to get to regular cleanings and with maintaining their teeth on their own. After doing some research, she realized there were no mobile preventative dental services serving this population.
In 2017, Miller started Senior Oral Health Services (S.O.S.) with two dental hygienist colleagues, Kelly Flanders and Diana Moiseyev. The firm brings preventative dental services to patients in long-term and memory care and serves eight counties across the state. S.O.S. was recognized in December by Venture Asheville at its Venture 15 ceremony as the seventh fastest-growing business in Asheville. It was also presented with a Shining Rock award for making a difference in the community.
“We are so proud,” Miller said. “It’s been a lot of hard work getting our name out there. Our services are so unique; no other companies have ever done (mobile preventative dental care), so we’re forging a new path.”
Miller credits A-B Tech’s dental hygiene program with giving her the foundation for her “lifelong passion” and career in preventative oral care. Her passion for elder care led her to found S.O.S.
“We saw a need in the community,” Miller said. “These patients had sat in the chair for many years and invested a lot in their mouths. To see them go to having no options for care was huge.”
What S.O.S. offers seniors seems simple on the surface: Long-term care residents can opt in for weekly cleanings when they first move into a new facility. Over the course of their contract, which ranges from six months to seven years, they can count on having a professional monitor and care for their dental health.
Deep down, these weekly visits serve an even broader array of needs. Poor oral health has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and even Alzheimer’s Disease. Preventive care reduces the risk of developing these issues.
There is also a social aspect to weekly cleanings that ministers to the spirit. According to the National Council on Aging, isolation among older adults peaked during the pandemic. A recent National Poll on Healthy Aging found that many adults age 50 to 80 still struggle with isolation and related depression. In 2023, 34 percent of older adults surveyed reported feeling socially isolated—a figure higher than before the pandemic in 2018 (27 percent).
“After the pandemic, people started to understand how important human connection and regular care are,” Miller said. “Our clinicians build relationships with the residents. The average nursing home resident receives 1.5 hours of one-on-one care a week. When you add 30 minutes of being with a clinician, that’s additional touch, care, and interaction.”
According to Miller, S.O.S. has grown over the past eight years from serving one long-term care community in a single county in Western North Carolina to supporting more than 50 communities across eight counties. To date, they have provided 19,000 treatments with the help of 11 oral care clinicians.
Despite the firm’s significant growth, the road to success has not been easy. During COVID, S.0.S. was forced to close down for two years. In the years since, it’s been rapidly growing, thanks in part to the help of financial manager Pat Wagner, who joined the firm in 2024. Wagner, who happens to be Miller’s mother, has a background in finance and accounting. “She has been an integral part of growth,” Miller said. “She brought business strategy and community outreach for us.”
Another challenge for S.O.S. has been maintaining relationships with long-term facilities’ staff, who can experience high turnover rates. “We work hard to build relationships with communities, and then people leave,” Miller said.
S.O.S. is trying to expand its reach. The for-profit mobile clinic has thus far focused on middle- to higher-income patients who are able to pay out of pocket, since the services are not covered by insurance. In the future, Miller would like to begin offering care to lower-income patients. To do this, she is seeking to partner with a local nonprofit that could fund the full cost of services for a lower-income long-term care facility.
S.O.S. is also exploring the idea of having the facilities cover the cost of dental services by building them into the cost of care. “We would like to create a new standard of care for all long-term facilities,” she said. “We want them to understand the importance of having a system of care for residents.”
Kathy Neighbor, Community Sales Director at Arbor Terrace, an Asheville-based assisted living and memory care facility, sees firsthand the benefits of regular clinician visits.
One resident, she said, recently struggled with transitioning from her natural teeth to dental implants. “(S.O.S.) taught her how to care for them,” the neighbor said. “They helped her with the dignity issue.”
Along with getting ready access to toothpaste and brushes, the mobile clinic helps residents maintain basic pleasures such as smiling with confidence and enjoying the taste of daily meals. “There is usually a bad vibe about going to the dentist, but these weekly visits are something they really look forward to,” Neighbor said.
To learn more about S.O.S., visit Senior Health Services. To learn more about A-B Tech’s Dental programs, visit Dental Hygiene.