A panel in the South Carolina House of Representatives has unanimously advanced a bill to end the practice of mail-order orthodontics, according to an April 21 report from the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
Senate Bill 453 requires that any teledentistry appointment to evaluate a patient for orthodontic appliances be followed up with an in-person appointment.
Orthodontic and dental associations backed the bill, claiming that mail-order orthodontic appliances can cause harm to patients. Around three-quarters of the American Association of Orthodontics’ members said that they treated patients who suffered negative side effects from mail-order appliances.
The bill also stops mail-order orthodontics companies from forcing patients to sign agreements that prevents them from filing complaints or lawsuits.
The South Carolina Senate unanimously passed the bill in February, the report said.
