Teledentistry is a tool that has been used for several decades with the potential to transform oral health care delivery. It can improve oral health by helping to reduce barriers that have kept people from accessing oral health care, such as cost, time, distance, and availability of providers.
A new Best Practice Approach Report, a collaboration between the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and CareQuest Institute, provides a framework for states and territories to identify opportunities and strategies to incorporate teledentistry into their oral health delivery systems.
The report addresses four key issues for a pathway to expanding teledentistry:
- Increase awareness
- Support policies that allow teledentistry to be used to its fullest potential
- Develop reimbursement policies for services provided with teledentistry that are on par with in-person payment policies
- Ensure training and technical support is available to those who want to use teledentistry
You may also be interested in:
- Teledentistry, this web page provides an overview and resources about the utilization and benefits of teledentistry.
- Teledentistry is an Effective Tool to Triage Patients and Save Money, a report that explores dental service utilization patterns and rate of return following teledentistry visits.