The COVID-19 pandemic changed so much about the way we live and take care of ourselves. People all across the world adapted to the restrictions of lockdowns with work-from-home setups, grocery delivery and telehealth visits with their doctors. Even teledentistry gained popularity, something we once would have called impossible.
Teledentistry is a relatively new way to receive care from a dentist, all from the comfort of your own home. You can receive teledentistry services through four methods:
- You meet with a dentist in real time using video chat.
- You share pictures and dental imaging from X-rays and impressions with your dentist.
- Your dentist shares your dental records with another provider so it’s easily accessible for follow-up care.
- You learn about dental hygiene on a digital device so you can take better care of your teeth, gums and mouth.
Meeting with a dentist using video chat and sharing photos of dental health concerns is the most common way to use teledentistry. It’s helped people prioritize their oral health throughout the pandemic, but serious limitations also remain.
What Are the Benefits of Teledentistry?
It’s easy to get professional advice from a dentist using teledentistry, especially as the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Respiratory viruses like these spread through mucous membranes, like those in your mouth and nose. The nature of dentistry makes a dentist’s office a particularly high-risk environment for transmitting these viruses.
Shifting to teledentistry reduces the risk of contracting respiratory viruses, as it reduces your exposure to an environment where patients have to remove their masks. But there are many other reasons you might opt for teledentistry. Although teledentistry grew in popularity during the pandemic, its advantages (and disadvantages) reach far beyond it.
Faster Response Times
Getting in touch with healthcare providers is easier and more convenient with the rise of telehealth and teledentistry. These are a great way for patients to address their concerns without waiting until an in-person appointment is available.
Contacting your dentist through an online portal gives you an opportunity to ask questions and share acute dental concerns. From there, your dentist can triage: They’ll let you know if a dental professional needs to intervene immediately or if you can wait for the next available in-person appointment.
However your case turns out, you’ll know if you’re dealing with something serious sooner rather than later. If you can wait, you won’t book up an in-person dental appointment that another patient might need more urgently. That’s especially helpful if you have anxiety about oral health or visiting the dentist, because you’ll know what to expect before you set foot in your dentist’s office.
Expanded Access for Underserved Communities
Some communities lack access to dental, medical and other necessary services. The shift to teledentistry helps people in these communities get support without traveling, which might be difficult, depending on their access to transportation.
Reaching these individuals is critical to their health, since oral health affects other organs and systems in your body. Poor oral hygiene often leads to gum disease, which can spiral out of control without intervention. Untreated gum disease is linked to heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes and more. Without access to comprehensive dental care, you might not know you have a condition that needs further attention.
Those without physical access to a dental professional can complete an oral health evaluation from their house, workplace or car if necessary. A dentist may be able to diagnose their dental issues via video chat to help avoid prolonged gum disease, cavities and other common oral health issues. If something can’t be treated over the phone, the examining dentist can invite the patient to a dental office for further assistance.
Reduces Workload for In-Person Care Providers
Many people only visit their dentist for their semiannual cleaning and evaluation. Others schedule appointments for minor concerns in between. Unfortunately, this increases dental professionals’ workload and prevents other patients with more urgent needs from getting a timely appointment.
Referring patients with mild concerns to teledentistry helps them get the help and/or reassurance they need without an in-person evaluation. In turn, dental professionals have lighter workloads, which may help prevent burnout. It also means patients who need in-person care see decreased wait times, improving the dental care experience for both patients and providers.
What Are the Disadvantages of Teledentistry?
Using teledentistry in lieu of in-person appointments also has its disadvantages. The most obvious issue is the limited diagnoses dentists can make using video or pictures. For severe concerns, there isn’t much that a dentist can do without an exam in their office. Some other disadvantages may not seem immediately apparent.
Cost of Equipment
Dental professionals can’t begin providing teledentistry services at the drop of a hat. It’s front-loaded with certain expenses, some of which are significant. Each practice must invest in specialty equipment and software in order to provide virtual dental services.
In some cases, the expenses are worth it because a practice serves younger, tech-savvy patients or a geographically limited population that needs this sort of support. For others, the costs outweigh the benefits, especially if a patient population isn’t willing to participate in teledentistry.
Cost of Training
Implementing new software in the workplace incurs significant costs for training staff. Dental professionals also need to learn how providing teledentistry is different from traditional in-person services. This includes gaining familiarity with the benefits and limitations of virtual dentistry.
Since they don’t order diagnostic tests in real time, dental professionals who provide teledentistry services also need to develop a new workflow. Obtaining old but still relevant X-rays, sending a patient for new X-rays following a virtual consult and determining which dental concerns are suitable for teledentistry consults are necessary, time-consuming and expensive.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Monetary costs are the least of many dental professionals’ worries. Launching a new telehealth or teledentistry service is complicated, and many healthcare professionals need far more support than they’re afforded to make the change.
Privacy Concerns
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, protects patient information by preventing healthcare professionals from disclosing patients’ personal information. However, the rise of telehealth and teledentistry offerings has made things more complicated. Sharing health records over the internet can be risky, which raises privacy concerns.
When you share information using email or other online methods, you run the risk that it might be intercepted. This also applies to sharing health and dental records for telehealth and teledentistry care. This may discourage some patients from pursuing virtual care altogether, although teledentistry providers use encryption and other protective measures to keep patient files and other information secure.
Need for Internet Access
The internet is accessible for many people, but it’s still out of reach for some in rural areas or with lower incomes. If these patients do have internet access, they may not have a computer or another device that makes teledentistry feasible. These are some of the people who stand to benefit most from teledentistry services, since they may not have access to a dentist in their community.
These barriers can make it difficult for patients who need teledentistry most to receive care.
Getting the Most Out of Teledentistry
Whether you’re energized by the benefits or skeptical of its limitations, you can take steps to ensure you get the most out of your teledentistry experience. Keep these tips in mind when you plan a teledentistry appointment:
- Prepare in advance. If you’re switching from another provider, your dentist may need a copy of your X-rays or other dental records before your appointment. Arrange for your dentist to have them in advance.
- Learn about the limitations. Ask your dentist what sorts of issues they can assist with during a virtual consult and which ones require an in-person appointment to address. This way, you won’t be disappointed if you have an issue they can’t solve with a teledentistry appointment.
- Take pictures before your appointment. If you need your dentist to have eyes on a wound or tooth you’re concerned about, take high-resolution photos before your appointment. Get help from a family member or friend if necessary.