Abstract
Investigators evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability of a teledentistry pilot program within a children's hospital network between March, 2018, and April, 2019. The program connected dentists to medical personnel and patients being treated in urgent care clinics, a primary care clinic, and a freestanding emergency department via synchronous video consultation. Three separate but parallel questionnaires evaluated caregiver, medical personnel, and dentist perspectives on the experience. Utilization of teledentistry was very low (2%, 14/826 opportunities), but attitudes regarding this service were largely positive among all groups involved and across all survey domains. Uptake of new technology has barriers but teledentistry may be an acceptable service, especially in the case of dental trauma.
Highlights
Over the last two decades, increasing numbers of pediatric patients have sought care at emergency departments (ED), urgent care (UC) facilities, and medical clinics with oral complaints including toothaches, dental trauma, and other concerns [1]
Due to low utilization of teledentistry by the ED in the first 8.5 months, three UC sites and one primary care site with higher volumes of oral-related diagnostic codes were added to the same protocol to increase encounters for a total of five sites
During the pilot period of 5 months across the five sites, 826 patients presented with an oral or dental complaint with average of 165 patients a month, though some would have been excluded from participating in teledentistry due to language barriers
Summary
Over the last two decades, increasing numbers of pediatric patients have sought care at emergency departments (ED), urgent care (UC) facilities, and medical clinics with oral complaints including toothaches, dental trauma, and other concerns [1]. Treatment for dental problems by medical providers is limited and may be managed by ineffective prescriptions for opioids or antibiotics. Patients receiving oral health care in an ED are more than 7 times more likely to receive an opioid prescription than patients treated in a dental office [3]. About 65% of patients receive antibiotics for their dental problem from medical providers when the indicated treatment for their condition is a procedure performed by a dentist [4]. Challenges related to low socioeconomic status, inadequate access to dentists in rural areas, and low oral health literacy contribute to patients seeking dental care in ED or other medical facilities [5]
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