Let's start with what teledentistry is. in short, it is basically virtual appointments with your dentist. In the upcoming age of the digital world, telehealth appointments are becoming more and more regular. We have seen a rise in telehealth appointments for all sorts of areas including healthcare, mental healthcare, and now oral healthcare. Similarly to telehealth doctor appointments, teledentisry is not aimed to treat but to follow up, diagnose, treatment plan, and things of the like.
In a family office, such as Webster Dental Associates, you would see teledentistry offered on the weekend for emergency care. Right now we do have somewhat of a similar system in place for the weekends. There is a doctor on call to asses weekend emergencies. Patients can be put in touch with our on call dentist that will asses the situation over the phone and make a diagnosis or plan treatment from the information they are given.
There are many benefits for something like teledentistry, however it is not a one stop shop for dental appointments. Treatment is going to still need to happen in office, and teledentistry cannot take the place of all exams, but it can cut down on appointments in office for those that need follow-up care.
Do you think teledentistry if helpful? Would it be something you would utilize? Let us know what you think!
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