In this article in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, researchers investigated why oral health professionals selected and used various types of teledentistry. They found that the majority of teledentistry visits (76%) were synchronous audio (phone call).
The authors, from CareQuest Institute, MouthWatch, and Virginia Commonwealth University, explained that having multiple types of teledentistry delivery available is important to accommodate access to technology for patients and training needs for providers.
Teledentistry has the potential to improve access to oral health care, the researchers added. From this one case study of a DSO in Oregon, nearly 80,000 individuals were able to connect with an oral health professional through teledentistry. Qualitative interviews with 13 oral health professionals revealed some challenges that affected teledentistry experiences, including:
- Variable technical skills among staff and patients
- Broadband limitations for patients
- Payer limitations on reimbursement
- Patient privacy considerations
- Staff shortages and bottlenecks related to oral health professionals working to the top of their licenses
Read the article in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry (open access)
You may also be interested in:
- Teledentistry Regulation and Policy Guidance, a toolkit with model teledentistry policies and rules to help improve the regulatory climate and move teledentistry forward.
- Teledentistry and Community Learning Help Kids Get Care in North Carolina, a blog post about how a Federally Qualified Health Center uses teledentistry to deliver care to more than 1,200 children in rural communities.
- Dentists Perceptions about the Value of Teledentistry, a journal article that shares results from a survey of dentists, the majority of whom (93%) expect teledentistry to change how they practice.