Only 30 percent of dentists use teledentistry at their practice, according to a recent article in The Journal of the American Dental Association.
Of the dentists that do use teledentistry, the top reasons that led them to use the technology were for increased convenience for patients (53 percent), COVID-19 (50 percent), better accessibility (39 percent) and specialty consultations (24 percent).
The top reasons for the dentists that opted not to use the technology included that they did not need it (60 percent), payment (39 percent), technology barriers (24 percent) and cost (17 percent).
Here are the top benefits the dentists using teledentistry reported:
Reduced number of in-person patient visits: 63 percent
Increased access and quality of care: 57 percent
Reduced patient anxiety: 38 percent
Lower costs for patients: 31 percent
Patient more receptive to care: 31 percent
Better care for marginal communities: 28 percent