Teledentistry is a win-win for employers and employees
One of the key learnings from this pandemic has been recognition of teledentistry as a viable option and the increase in its use.
As states urged people to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, many dentists saw few, if any, patients for non-emergency appointments. This served as a moment for dentists to pause and think about the future of their practices and what a sensible operating model would look like going forward. It may have even prompted some older dentists to consider retirement.
Related: A new pain at the dentist office: Infection control fees
One of the key learnings from the pandemic has been recognition of teledentistry as a viable option and the increase in its use. Once reserved for rural patients with little access to nearby dental care, teledentistry enables dentists to see patients virtually, addressing dental care concerns and managing pain. As COVID-19 guidance limiting in-office care is lifted, teledentistry is likely here to stay.
Managing the wave of new patients
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), there are about 61.1 dentists per 100,000 people in the U.S. Put another way, that’s an average of 1,636 patients per dentist, so one dentist retiring can send more than 1,000 patients scrambling for new dentists. What’s even more troubling is that 16.1% of dentists in the U.S. are age 65 or older, and another 21.9% fall between the ages of 55 and 64. That means 38% of all U.S. dentists are at or near the average retirement ages of 65 for men and 63 for women.
Although dentists have control over the number of patients they see and how they manage their schedules, it simply makes sense to change their approach to accommodate an increase in demand. For some dentists, teledentistry is an efficient and convenient option to triage patients for urgent care or perform regular check-ups on care in progress such as post-surgical examinations or orthodontic care.
Additional benefits to dentists using teledentistry include the ability to rotate between in-person care and teledentistry care, allowing time for office sanitation between patients as well as reducing costs for personal protective equipment. Teledentistry also helps to keep dentist chairs open to patients who require urgent in-person care.
Efficiency and safety for employees
A rural employee may spend 20 minutes driving to their dentist’s office, 20 minutes filling out paperwork and sitting in the waiting room, 30 minutes in the dentist’s chair and 20 more minutes driving home, for a total of 90 minutes spent for 30 minutes of dental care. Teledentistry can eliminate that excess time with employees able to schedule virtual visits with their dentist and receive recommendations on how to manage their dental care needs in minutes.
Teledentistry can also reduce employees’ exposure to COVID-19 or other germs. Even as offices and establishments open, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends limiting face-to-face contact with other people is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and cites social distancing as one of our best tools in avoiding exposure to the virus. By choosing virtual visits over in-person, patients can boost their chances of staying healthy and able to work.
Why employers should take note
Healthier employees are more productive employees. Unscheduled absenteeism, often attributable to injury or illness, costs employers $2,660 per year for each salaried employee. Teledentistry can protect productivity in two ways: first, by reducing the likelihood of employees being exposed to COVID-19 resulting in unexpected time off, and second, by reducing travel to their dentist.
Employers may also find telehealth reduces overall healthcare costs. According to the American TeleDentistry Association, virtual visits require a fraction of the time and resources required by in-person visits, and tend to cost less with those savings being passed on to employers and employees.
Since virtual dentistry can help protect both employers and their employees, employers stand to gain from teledentistry and should ensure their dental insurance plans have a robust set of teledentistry offerings.
Dr. Katina Spadoni is dental director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
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