Teledental Technology: Techs and Balances
Part 3: From Fort McPherson To Your Smartphone: An Introduction to Teledentistry
The final part of our three-part series explores the different kinds of teledental technology that are available to dentists today. In case you missed them, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the series to learn about the history and principles of teledentistry.
To best understand the different kinds of teledental technology, it is useful to look at the CDT code entries defined by the ADA. The first type is synchronous teledentistry. This is a real-time encounter facilitated by technology. The second is asynchronous teledentistry. Information recorded by the patient is sent to a dentist for subsequent review.
The ADA further breaks down teledental technology into four modalities, which we consider to be a good overview of the kinds of teledentistry you can engage in.
Live video (synchronous): Live, two-way interaction between a person (patient, caregiver, or provider) and a provider using audiovisual telecommunications technology.
Store-and-forward (asynchronous): Transmission of recorded health information (for example, radiographs, photographs and video of patients) through a secure electronic communications system to a practitioner, who uses the information to evaluate a patient’s condition or render a service outside of a real-time or live interaction.
Remote patient monitoring (both): Personal health and medical data collection from an individual in one location via electronic communication technologies, which is transmitted to a provider (sometimes via a data processing service) in a different location for use in care and related support of care.
Mobile health/mHealth (both): Health care and public health practice and education supported by mobile communication devices such as cell phones, tablet computers.
As technology develops, it is useful to bear in mind that new products will arrive on the scene that can involve a mix of these modalities or may present altogether new ways of engaging in teledentistry.
For example, the Toothpic app is a combination of the ADA-defined modalities of mHealth and store-and-forward technology. Patients use their smartphones to take photographs of their teeth, these are transmitted through a secure system to a consulting dentist who can review them at a suitable time.
In Minnesota, Apple Tree Dental and mylife Dental are two examples of companies using live video and remote patient monitoring modalities together. In a state with 4,800 dental hygienists to 3,400 dentists, clinics like these deploy mobile hygienist teams to rural schools and nursing homes. Preventative care such as cleanings, x-rays and fluoride treatments are carried out by hygienists under the remote supervision of dentists, who can ask a patient to travel to the office if further treatment is required.
Tooling up
When thinking of the technology involved in teledentistry, it is useful to know what tools you may require or encounter. We separate these into hardware and software.
Hardware may include image- and video- recording tools (x-ray, intraoral camera, smartphone camera, etc.) or information encoding and review tools (computers, tablets, phones).
Software may be used to connect patients and dentists (by video link, messaging service) for synchronous teledentistry or to store and forward information and images for asynchronous teledentistry. Software may include patient guides, review tools and record keeping.
Your Dentist In Your Pocket
Teledentistry on a smartphone
“My dad is a dentist, and while working late one night, I was
concerned about a gap I’d noticed in my lower gum, so I called him to ask what I should do. Of course, he couldn’t help over the phone but suggested I send him a photo. On doing so, he called straight back with a diagnosis and recommendation and mentioned how the quality of the photo was as good as those taken by professional dental cameras. That’s when I realized how much technology could help dentists and patients. The original Toothpic was born.” Mark Moore (Toothpic CEO)
What is Toothpic?
With Toothpic, patients take 1–6 photos of their mouth, teeth, and gums on their smartphone. Along with some dental history and habit questions, this is sent to a Toothpic Network dentist licensed in their state. The dentist annotates the patient’s photos, and this is returned to the patient as a dental report in the Toothpic app.
How can I get involved in the dental network?
Toothpic has a dental network across the United States and often experiences demand for new dentists in certain states. Signup at www.oraleye.com/join/ and one of our representatives will be in touch or reach out to the Network Manager on network@toothpic.com to express your interest.
Did you find this piece useful? What more would you like to know? Let us know in the comments how your experience has been with social media and get in touch with us if you need any more advice.
