Teledentistry

In 1994, the Department of Defence introduced the Total Dental Access Program (TDA) for the Army.[2] The goals of TDA were to increase soldier's access to care and reduce associated costs. At the time, they used what was called the plain-old-telephone-system (POTS).

In the early nineteen nineties, videoconferencing, e-mail, fax, and telephone calls were used but more recently, video conferencing and high-quality image transfer have become easily accessible. These, and the considerable improvements in digital camera technology, have provide radical new opportunities.

Nearly a third of all Americans don't visit a dentist regularly enough, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.[3] There are many reasons for this, most notably affordability, access and fear.

Several teledental startup companies operate in the United States, including The Teledentists and Virtudent. Direct-to-consumer orthodontics companies like SmileDirectClub also utilize teledentistry, but have drawn criticism regarding proper supervision of care. [4]

Live Video (Synchronous): Live two-way video between a patient and provider using audiovisual telecommunications technology.[5] Live video is often used to triage patients to the appropriate level of care or for specialty consultations.

Store-and-forward (Asynchronous): Transmission of recorded health information (for example, radiographs or digital impressions taken by an appropriately licensed provider) through a secure electronic communications system to a practitioner, who uses the information to evaluate or diagnose the patient's condition outside at a later time.[5]

Remote Patient Monitoring: Health data collection from an individual in one location (usually outside of a conventional clinical setting), which is transmitted to a provider in a different location for use in care and related support.[5]

mHealth: Health promotion and education via mobile devices such as cell phones or tablets. [5]

Teledentistry can provide easier, cheaper and less intimidating way to connect with dentistry. Teledentistry can also be used to assist general dentists with speciality work[6] and improve services to underserved populations such as in rural or less developed areas.[7]