Telemedicine dentistry is expanding as an option provided by dentists. Learn what telemedicine is and what can it do for your practice, before your competition does.
Telemedicine, also called telehealth, is the rendering of medical or healthcare-related services via electronic communication when the patient and provider are in different locations. Patients can see a healthcare provider remotely, sometimes from the comfort of their own home, and receive a diagnosis and a recommended treatment plan that may or may not include medication and other therapies.
Telehealth covers many sectors of healthcare, including general health, behavioral health, counseling and psychiatry, home health, physical therapy, and dentistry. In addition, many health insurance providers cover telemedicine services. It's usually cheaper for the insurance company than a traditional office visit since there are far fewer overhead expenses to cover.
In the field of dentistry, telehealth is a little different, but the concept is essentially the same. Patients can be seen in their own homes, usually with a laptop and an intraoral camera. While not all oral health conditions can be examined, diagnosed, and treated in this manner, it can be a good starting point for patients who are starting their oral care journey or who have minor dental care needs.
There are a number of advantages of teledentistry, including but not limited to:
Telehealth is working hard to dismantle many of the barriers to healthcare access, including geographical location and cost. Dental professionals that offer telemedicine services are taking a leap forward into previously uncharted territory, where some oral health conditions can be virtually examined, diagnosed, and treated without the need for the patient's or practitioner's physical presence.
Dental practices that employ telemedicine can conduct basic new patient exams via the Internet, leaving exam chairs open for procedures and follow-ups from virtual patients that need in-person treatment.
As technology within the dental industry continues to evolve, you can expect telemedicine could become more pervasive than ever. New and established practices will be evaluating the benefits and cost of offering telemedicine services, and many could be jumping on the bandwagon in an effort to keep up with the competition.
As patients have an increasing desire for fast, convenient, and affordable healthcare, dentists could begin adopting telehealth practices at an unprecedented rate.
To keep up with demand, the technology used for telemedicine could also become faster, more efficient, and easier to use. Many more consultations will be able to be done via teledentistry than in years past as advanced equipment allows dental health professionals to access more information about their patients during the remote exam.
There's likely never been a better time to explore telemedicine and what it may be able to do for the growth of your dental practice.
As dental technology changes at a rapid pace, your practice needs to seek to grow with the industry. This can be challenging to do when your days are spent chairside providing quality dental care to patients. Using this article and other resources on the Treloar & Heisel website, you can find ways to help you keep up-to-date.
Contact us today to learn about the services that Treloar & Heisel offers that can help you seek to protect your practice.
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