Virtual Dental Appointments Explained
Virtual healthcare appointments existed earlier but have adopted a new form with the Covid-19 restricting dentists from providing any services close to the patient. Virtual dental consultation falls into the category of telehealth services and is offered by many dentists in the current situation. A virtual dental consultation is also referred to as Teledentistry in this new era of professional and innovative healthcare.
Is Telehealth Similar to Teledentistry?
Telehealth is an innovative method of communication technology, allowing patients to receive remote medical services. Telehealth incorporates video conferencing to help practitioners provide people with care.
Teledentistry provides remote services to patients needing dental healthcare solutions. Remote services helps patients living in far-off areas access dental care more easily.
Telehealth offers healthcare and public health services via new communications technology. Teledentistry also achieves the same goal but restricts itself only to provide dentistry services for patients who cannot access it for any reason.
What Is the Benefit of Virtual Dental Visits?
Virtual dental visits ensure patients are involved in less traveling because they only need to visit the dentist when there is an urgent requirement for treatment in close proximity. Patients do not have to travel distances, search for parking spaces, and wait for some time before they are called in for their appointment. Virtual dental visits ensure patients are face to face with a dental professional across a video conferencing platform or telephone connections.
Patients can communicate with dentists remotely and conveniently before an actual in-person visit. Best of all, virtual dental visits do not cost as much as visiting the dentist’s office and can be completed conveniently from the comfort of the patient’s home.
Why Is Teledentistry in Demand All of a Sudden?
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic at the end of 2019, combined with the increasing demand for Teledentistry, seems to have pushed the need for remote services significantly in the past nine months. US households with access to the Internet have expressed interest in using these services, and approximately 60 percent of them have confirmed their willingness to participate in Teledentistry.
Teledentistry is proving beneficial for people living in rural and outlying areas who have to travel to a nearby town equipped with good healthcare services like hospitals and urgent care centers because it reduces the expenses of traveling. Teledentistry has decreased the cost and time of travel and the hassle of finding registered and qualified professionals to meet medical and dental needs.
Having a consultation with a professional from the comfort of the home is becoming desirable for many people. It has also opened a new realm of opportunity for healthcare professionals and patients to make these services more accessible and convenient. Virtual dental care in Salt Lake City has made Teledentistry an alternative to visiting the emergency room or urgent Provider, which can be cost-prohibitive for most people.
Furthermore, the surging demand for Teledentistry at facilities such as hospitals and urgent care centers is also increasing significantly with the restrictions forced upon us by the coronavirus pandemic. Teledentistry ensures patients can receive specialized treatment at affordable prices compared to the exorbitant fees charged by emergency room doctors.
Teledentistry Is an Upgrade to the Existing Version
The concept of teledentistry existed since the time telephones were discovered. However, it has evolved with new technology currently being used.
The intricate new technology is allowing dentists to conduct more in-depth consultations via videoconferencing. Dentists can now consult with patients and even diagnose some cases before scheduling an in-person visit.
Connecting a call to a patient’s smartphone, laptop, or tablet is allowing dentists to discuss with the patient about the care they may need. Teledentistry will enable patients and dentists to assess the issue ahead of time. This is beneficial, especially when the patient requires antibiotics or any other treatment before they can schedule an appointment. After the problem has been diagnosed, the patient can schedule an appropriate appointment with a dentist near them.