Teledentistry is the integration of dentistry and advanced telecommunication systems. It involves the transmission of clinical images and medical information for dental advice and treatment plans over remote distances.
Teledentistry: Scope
Teledentistry has become more accessible with the help of advanced cloud-based dental software. It has vast potential to enhance oral healthcare access, improve oral healthcare delivery, and reduce overall costs. Also, it can alleviate the imbalance in dental healthcare between urban and rural communities.
Teledentistry can emerge as the cheapest and the fastest way to bridge the gap and disparity between the rural-urban health community. Considering the rapid advancement in the information and communication technology sector, teledentistry will introduce specialized healthcare facilities into the remotest parts of the world.
Suppose the assumptions on the shortage of dentists in the upcoming decade become true. In that case, teledentistry will not only become significant for the rural areas but also for the urban and suburban communities.
There will be an improvement in dentistry’s collaboration into the broader healthcare delivery system with the help of inter-professional communications.
The application of teledentistry for specialized diagnosis, consultation, treatment scheduling, treatment coordination, and constant monitoring for virtual care will give facets of decision support and ensure a sharing of detailed knowledge of the dental patient among dentists.
The Cornerstone of Teledentistry: Internet
The modern and advanced systems of teledentistry are based on the internet. This integrated form of dental care solution uses the power of the internet to stay updated, fast, and capable of transmitting a vast amount of data.
Every latest system of teledentistry is designed to be internet-based. Alterations within the last decade in the speed and ways of data transfer have evoked dentists, clinicians, and IT experts to redefine teledentistry as a valuable and esteemed healthcare tool.
When it comes to academic life in campuses and colleges, information and communication technologies and the internet have become an integral part of it. Online teledentistry education allows students to determine the time, place, and learning mode. Modern internet systems have also become a central part of learning for the continued professional dental education through online training courses, broadcasting operations and treatments, and online video conferencing.
Current Roles of Teledentistry
1. Role in Oral Medication and Diagnosis
It has been proven that teledentistry can be used for oral medication in a community dental service. Bradley M verified this with the help of a prototype teledentistry system. Also, teledentistry can be an effective way to undergo remote diagnosis in the case of oral lesions using digital images transmitted via email.
2. Role in Oral Surgery
It has been known that teledentistry consultations are valuable in evaluating patients for dentoalveolar surgery with nasotracheal intubation and general anesthesia. This real-time assessment is as reliable as the ones conducted under conventional methods.
Moreover, the telecommunication way is far more cost-effective and efficient to ensure pre-op assessment in case patient transportation is costly or difficult.
3. Role in endodontics
With teledentistry, remote dental care providers can determine root canal orifices from the digital images of the teeth that’s been endodontically accessed. Teledentistry can also be used to diagnose the front teeth’s periapical lesions while lowering the costs related to distant visits.
Furthermore, teledentistry has also started to play a significant role in orthodontics, prosthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. However, more precision and advancement in technology are still needed for seamless operations.
Final Thoughts
With the fast-paced technological advancement in the teledentistry sector, dental care providers or practitioners can eventually collaborate with the best cloud-based dental software and virtual dental health clinics to redefine the era of dental care solutions.