Consultations with online dentists come with different advantages for everyone. This kind of service will be more convenient and lesser in cost and because of this Online Dentist appointments are gaining attraction from a broad audience. Online Dentist consultations and teledentistry will likely expand their services offered via virtual platforms.
Here are some of the commonly asked questions from patients seeking to yet employ the services of an Online Dentist:
What is Teledentistry or Online Dentist Appointments?
Online Dentists and Teledentistry is dental care provision and support including dental care diagnosis, consultation, treatment, patient education, and transfer of dental information through the use of electronic data, imaging and communication platforms that may be interactive or can deliver audio, videos, and data and also store and forward these technologies.
Online Dentist appointments may also include high-tech monitoring of dental patients which is a less costly and rather more convenient choice of patient care.
What services does an Online Dentist provide?
Some platforms for Online Dentist appointments are there so that patients do not need to wait for an appointment and a board-certified dentist is always ready to cater to them. Online Dentists can be a temporary solution for emergency room or urgent cases only to reduce pain until more thorough treatment can be given in a physical dental office.
For non-emergency dental problems, days or weeks may sometimes be needed to book an appointment with a dentist. Through Online Dentist appointment platforms, a patient may speak with one (among many) dental professional affiliated to the platform to discuss concerns and take active steps to a solution. If necessary, the appointment for special treatments can be booked with a dentist near the patient’s area of residence.
Is An Online Dentist a healthcare provider?
Yes. Online Dentists making diagnoses and treatment must be board-certified dentists. Select Online Dentist platforms that put patients in contact with dental professionals to discuss urgent oral and dental health problems.
Review the teledentistry platform for feedbacks. Make sure they are offering highly skilled dentists that are ready to communicate any concerns patients have and offer various treatment options as a solution. Select teledentistry platforms that put up disclaimers that they do not offer any form of treatment or write prescriptions for medicines rather that they only direct and match patients to qualified dentists.
Will patients get a diagnosis for treatment through an Online Dentist?
Yes. Diagnosis will be provided by board-certified dental professionals whom the patient will speak to about their concerns. The virtual platform only connects the patients with available dentists for swift and accurate consultations.
What benefits can patients get in doing consultations with an Online Dentist?
It can:
Improve patient’s dental hygiene – According to studies, dental office visits have declined in 2003 and have dropped steadily. Using teledentistry systems connects patients with healthcare professionals and serves as an important instrument for improving oral health conveniently.
Be less expensive than physical visits to a dentist – Appointments with Online dentists have been proven to be more affordable and increased efficiency by reducing travel time, shared staffing, and fever face-to-face appointments.
A more modern form of communication that keep up with the times – Studies have shown that 70% of patients are increasingly comfortable in communicating with Online Dentists via SMS, emails, or videos instead of seeing them face to face, and also some 76% of patients verbalized that prioritized access to care trumps in-person interactions with healthcare professionals. 30% of patients use mobile devices and computers in checking medical and diagnostic information.
Advanced access to patient care – 20% of Americans reside in rural areas where access to dentists and other medical services is not easy. Having an Online Dentist eliminates the long distances patients need to travel. It will also help dentists to supplement clinician staffing in places that they are understaffed. An Online Dentist’s clinic can extend its reach to patients beyond their offices and Online Dentist platforms can increase professional’s services to hundreds of new patients.
Reduce employee absences from the office – Online Dentist options have reduced the time taken by employed patients to meet dental providers face-to-face. In reality, only 17% or 20 minutes spent in seeing a dentist face-to-face is required to see Online Dentists.
Make in-clinic appointment slots more available to patients who need them – Dental clinic appointment times are limited. Some patients who have reserved a slot do not necessarily have to see a dentist face-to-face. Thus, patients who need urgent care may not be catered to as easily.
Give the same level of dental care as in-clinic visits – Studies have shown that quality of care and the rate of success of patients in both face-to-face and Online Dentists were the same.
Can I speak to more than one Online Dentist?
Yes, most platforms for an Online Dentist can patch up patients to one or more healthcare professionals. Many patients have chosen to seek out second and third opinions after their first appointment with another dental professional accredited in the said platforms. Some of these platforms allow patients to work with his/her current dental professional in coordination with the platform’s accredited Online Dentists. If the patient’s current dentist is not a member of the platform, the dentist may apply for membership for free.
Virtual platforms initiated and owned by a private practicing dentist though have a limited number of dentists to cater to patient’s concerns, unlike state-wide Online Dentist platforms.
Is there an Online Dentist available near me?
That depends on your state. Some platforms of teledentistry offer a growing and expanding network of board-licensed dental professionals. To check if an Online Dentist is available, they may just require patients to input the zip code of their state.
How long can a video call with an Online Dentist take?
On average, the video call with an Online Dentist may last roughly from 15 to 30 minutes.
What is the fee for Online Dentist consultations?
Consultation fee with an Online Dentist through certain platform services may cost from $29 to up to $199 with a second opinion. Choose teledentistry companies that cater to dental insurances and co-payees.
What about additional or hidden charges for Online Dentist consultations?
There should be none. Joining an Online Dentist platform should be free and the services that they provide should not have any hidden surcharges.
Will an Online Dentist keep my information secure?
Yes. Choose Online Dentist platform companies that take privacy concerns seriously. They must declare that all patient’s information is stored securely and is fully encrypted. Also, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use should be viewable on their websites.
Does an Online Dentist comply with HIPAA standards?
Yes, they should. The platform must be thoroughly designed to be fully compliant with HIPAA standards and to protect patient’s data by using secure encryption. Sensitive personal health info distributed and discussed between dentist and patient should be accessed or stored by the platform.
