MouthWatch offers more than just an affordable intraoral camera — paired with TeleDent it is an important tool for growing dental practices, mobile practices, large DSO groups and a way for providers to interact and share relevant patient information in the evolving world of dentistry. Intraoral cameras have been a steadily growing tool in the ever-increasing world of virtual care, and have been thrust into the spotlight in response to COVID.
Where TeleDent Began
In a podcast conversation with Mike Uretz, host of the Dental Software Advisor Podcast, CEO Brant Herman explained the inspiration behind TeleDent by MouthWatch. Brant had a vision of TeleDent as the result of a need he recognized years ago: a need to “create a value of care and allow for patients and providers to connect via video consultation”. From that idea, the concept of a teledentistry solution was born. Today we have TeleDent which is a cloud-based and HIPAA-compliant secure platform that allows practices to engage with patients and other providers in a convenient way.
Whole Health Collaboration
Brant and Mike Uretz went on to dicuss how TeleDent doesn’t just live in the realm of dentistry, it can be a way to transform a “healthcare touchpoint” to ensure comprehensive patient care, all around. Medical-dental integration is a key topic in the world of dental care and clinics are working together to provide screenings and referrals for those in need.
Take a diabetic patient for example: we know diabetics are more prone to periodontal disease, which in turn makes the HbA1c more difficult to control. It’s a vicious cycle and studies show if we can get a handle on either HbA1c control or periodontal disease, the other is also easier to control. Pregnant and pediatric patients can have oral screenings and be referred to a dental office via TeleDent, often preventing dental complications if found early. Collaboration can have a lasting impact on the patient and create a value for overall health.
Removing the Barriers
At MouthWatch, we see providers recognizing the benefits of teledentistry and collaboration. Referrals are obtained and discussed without relying on a patient to complete the process themselves. A common discord for many years was reliability of relaying information between the general dentist and the specialist, and images and documentation getting lost in the process.”I think the long-term successes that practices are going to find are improved referrals — that you can collaborate much more easily with your network of specialists. You can do virtual consults for treatment planning between you and the other specialists,” according to Brant Herman. Now when providers can connect via TeleDent, the process is rather seamless and ensures a great patient experience when all providers are consistent and informed.
The virtual screening and consultations give patients the one-on-one attention — and a convenient way to do so! In turn, the result is patient in the chair for proposed treatment. The medical and dental collaboration provides whole body care, ensuring the best possible outcome, especially for at-risk health and dental disease. Using imaging and teledentistry is evolving and making healthcare better for the patient and more profitable and streamlined for the provider.