Teledentistry is an effective way to conduct appointments, according to a new study – but faces significant barriers in the post-pandemic world.
Carried out by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS), the study looked into the use of teledentistry as a strategy.
It was heavily used during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to improve access to oral health services despite full or partial closures of dental practices.
The study suggests teledentistry offers an effective way to conduct appointments involving triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up and health education. As a result, this reduces the number of in-person visits.
Beyond the pandemic
Researchers conducted interviews of safety-net oral health providers and administrators. Safety-net providers are defined as organisations who provide ‘a significant level of health care… to uninsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable patients’. Medicaid is a US government programme that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources.
The providers described their experiences using teledentistry services. The majority expressed interest in continuing to provide services via teledentistry beyond the pandemic.
However, barriers to teledentistry expansion were identified. This included the lack of Medicaid reimbursement, which is key for populations primarily served by safety-net organisations.
Barriers to provision
Researchers found that after the expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on 11 May 2023, only 14 states continue to offer Medicaid reimbursement for teledentistry services.
Additional barriers includes state-level restrictions on who is authorised to deliver teledentistry services.
‘Teledentistry proved itself during the pandemic; we learned that it expanded access to care,’ said CHWS director Jean Moore.
‘Moving forward, we need to identify ways to reduce the variability in teledentistry regulation and authorisation. [This will] enable its use and to improve access to quality dental services in the future.’
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