Teledentisry and Dental Hygiene

Abstract

The use of Teledentistry is the future of the way traditional dental practices will practice. Its use is controversial due to the cost of equipment, time for training of personnel, and lack of reimbursement for services billed. However, the many advantages range from reduced fees for patients to the increase use of dental hygienists, midlevel providers, and/or advanced dental therapists in non-traditional settings. Moreover, the use of Teledentistry affords underserved populations in rural and urban areas equity with regard to access to dental and medical services. For the facilitation of Teledentistry to be successful, the conversion of paper patient charts must be converted to a digital format (EHR or electronic health record) for radiographs, medical/dental histories, and prescriptions. The new millennium ushers the use of more computer systems, email, text messages, smartphones, and digital media for both the medical and dental professions in the inter-disciplinary approach to treatment of patients nationwide.