For Physicians and Behavioral Health providers, teledentistry can enable patient-centered dental care for those who need it most, in a variety of care settings, and without the need for a traditional dental clinic.
Teledentistry defined
Teledentistry is a subset of telehealth that refers to the provision of dental care aided by virtual technologies. Dental care, care supervision, and education can be delivered to patients by providers who are in a physical location that is different from where the supervising dentist is located.
Enable efficient care delivery and ongoing care
When a teledentistry visit precedes a first dental office visit—and the diagnostic and treatment planning has been completed—the dentist is able to provide restorative and/or surgical care at the first dental office visit. Further, virtual patient/provider connections enable ongoing reinforcement of at-home care behaviors that account for the largest aspect of maintaining good oral health.
Possible teledentistry services
What kind of care can be provided via teledentistry? Some dental services that can be made possible include:
- Oral health assessments, exams, intra-oral pictures, and digital x-rays
- Diagnoses and treatment planning
- Preventive care such as dental sealants, fluoride varnish, silver diamine fluoride, and teeth cleaning
- Anticipatory guidance and counseling on daily home care
Add more value to your practice
Many people do not receive the dental care they need to be optimally healthy. Poor oral health negatively impacts people throughout their lives, and can result in serious health consequences for children, people with chronic diseases, people with behavioral health conditions, the elderly, and women who are pregnant.
More people engage with primary care than with dental care. Interprofessional provider partnerships leveraging teledentistry solve for some of the biggest barriers by expanding access to care, increasing patient convenience and satisfaction (including those with dental phobia/anxiety), and lowering costs. Further, teledentistry is growing as a preferred care option for higher-risk and/or medically fragile patients who should limit environmental exposures.
Want to learn more about teledentistry? Visit these resources:
DentaQuest – Leveraging Teledentistry to Close Gaps in Oral Health
Expanding Oral Health: Teledentistry
We encourage healthcare providers to consider integrating oral health into their patient practice, including teledentistry if appropriate.
To be connected with a Dental Care Organization to discuss partnership interests, contact our Provider Service team.