Tele-dentistry has boomed during the pandemic phase. As per the recent report by agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HRQ), dental practitioners with telehealth services were able to remotely evaluate patients, share recommendations, provide problem-focused and urgent care evaluations, offer pharmacological management, and even follow up on emergency care.
As per the data, about 65 per cent of dental visits are for post-treatment consultation or second opinion. Tele-dentistry can play a major role in providing access to quality care in both pre and post-treatment consultations, while saving the hassle and time that a physical visit would require.
Commenting on the rising number of patients seeking tele-dentistry services, Harminder Singh Multani, CEO of MyDentalPlan Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. said, “The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in all the fields and dentistry is no exception. The awareness level of people has improved and a lot more emphasis is being laid on overall wellbeing. This has resulted in improvement in oral wellness. With the help of facilities like video consultations and online record-keeping, there has been a significant change in the way people approach dentistry. As per our estimates, seven out of 10 people prefer to get on a call with their doctor to have a quick consultation for even the smallest inconvenience and this is where tele-dentistry sits well.” Further added that the trend of getting a second opinion has become more prevalent in the last decade, especially since the onset COVID-19.
As per the norms set by World Health Organization (WHO), it is ideal to have at least one qualified dentist to serve a population of 7,500. In India, there are scores of rural areas that have to travel long distances to get quality treatment even in case of an emergency.
Quality treatment is still inaccessible in many states and regions in the country. As per Indian Dental Association (IDA) J&K branch report, in the state has only one qualified dentist for a population of 28,000. All these challenges can be tackled easily with the help of virtual consultations.Tele-dentistry offers a solution to provide quality dental treatment in underserved areas as it cuts through the location barriers and makes quality treatment accessible.
The number of people utilizing tele-dentistry and virtual care solutions will only increase as more technology is put into application in the health sector and the lives of people. Experts note that tele-dentistry is highly efficient for the dental service provider as the cost of setup is minimal and it enables dentists to have access to a greater number of patients to provide quality care.