Maintaining a healthy smile is an important aspect of a person’s overall health. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same access to dental resources. Living in rural areas or having modest incomes can limit an individual’s ability to obtain adequate dental care. In some cases, it might even be simply too inconvenient for someone to seek out a dentist or to address dental concerns. Dental telehealth is one way
healthcare providers are hoping to address some of these shortcomings in dental health.
What is Dental Telehealth?
Dental telehealth is the provision of dental services through electronic means. In essence, a patient is able to exchange information about his or her dental health with a dentist by participating in real-time video, transferring images or utilizing interactive communication technologies. During the transmission of information, a dentist is able to consult with the patient, make a diagnosis and suggest a treatment for the patient. Dental telehealth could also streamline the demand and delivery of various items or products that improve an individual’s dental health.
These virtual visits are a promising solution to the pressing need for accessible dental services across the country. Not only are these services more cost effective for patients, but also more convenient and time saving. Through the use of innovative yet user-friendly technology, thousands of people could soon have more access to dental care than ever before.
How Dental Telehealth Will Increase Access to Care?
Although it is in its early phases of development, many dental health experts have already seen several benefits stemming from dental Telehealth. The American Teledentistry Association(ATDA) notes that dental telehealth is much more cost-effective than typical in-office visits. For example, staff used to schedule appointments or manage patient information can be shared between different offices, which consequently lowers staffing costs in those clinics. Less overhead cost for dental office results in a lower service charge for patients.
The ATDA also points out that dental telehealth saves its patients significant amount of time. Most obviously, dental telehealth eliminates the time patients waste commuting to the nearest dental office, a benefit that greatly serves patients living in extremely rural areas. However, dental telehealth streamlines the typical office visit, saving the amount of time a patient spends waiting to meet with the doctor.
Finally, with smartphones, apps and virtual technology making up a larger part of our lives every day, dental telehealth conforms to society’s expectations in terms of fast solutions and immediate services. In other words, dental telehealth satisfies consumer demands for convenience and efficiency.
Together, these benefits will only increase access to dental care throughout communities. The combination of reduced costs, saved time and overwhelming convenience encourage individuals in even the most remote places to seek out health care and dental services. These factors also make dental health both an affordable option for those with limited incomes and time efficient for those with demanding daily schedules. Additionally, the reduced number of office visits opens up more agreeable timeslots for individuals who are in a greater need for an in-person visit.
As technology continues to play a growing part in our everyday lives, it’s no surprise that dental telehealth is emerging as a promising solution to promote the efficiency and accessibility of dental health. For more information on dental answering services offered by Anserve, please click here.