Teledentistry will never replace a visit to the office for a procedure like a filling or a crown. Virtual consults, however, can create a more efficient patient journey into the office for treatment. Virtual consultations not only transform the patient experience —they also create efficiencies at the same time for both patients and providers. For example, post-operative check-ins with patients can be offered virtually, optimizing in-office chair time for production and saving patients from having to take off from work to attend a quick 10-minute appointment.
Reduce operational overhead for non-productive appointments
Incorporating teledentistry into your practice creates an opportunity to save on the overhead costs of delivering in-office appointments. By shifting appointments such as initial consultations and post-op check-ins to a virtual setting, providers can reduce overall room turnover and associated staffing time, as well as PPE burn.
There are many pieces to it, such as payroll for multiple in-office staff, PPE, and room turnover. But when we broke it down, we found it’s about a 70% savings to provide a teledentistry visit vs. an in-office visit.
Jacqueline Melroe, VP of Operations, Advantage Dental, TeleDent User
Make in-office appointments more productive and effective
In addition to reduced costs, shifting in-person appointments to a TeleDent consult frees up in-office time, allowing you to fit more treatment needs into your schedule. Getting more patients into the office that need treatment not only allows for more production, but also better outcomes and earlier intervention for patients. Patients who need care and treatment can get into the office and receive care sooner.
Create cost and time savings that improve engagement
Offering virtual opportunities also saves patients time and costs spent traveling to and from the dental office. These time and cost savings you can offer patients via TeleDent translates into a more convenient experience for them, which translates into better patient engagement and patient retention for your practice.
Get patients invested in their oral health
When patients know that they have an avenue to ask questions and get guidance that doesn’t require taking time off work, travel, and arranging childcare, etc, it also enables them to become more invested in their oral health. They know that when an issue arises or they have a question, they can conveniently reach your practice with a secure TeleDent message for instance.
Communicate anytime for greater connected care
Having both live video conferencing and flexible messaging options in a teledentistry platform is important.
TeleDent offers patients the ability to connect and communicate with your practice both synchronously and asynchronously.
Real-time, synchronous communication lets patients and providers meet virtually in real-time, using video, audio, or both. Synchronous meetings are useful for pre-screening and completing initial evaluations that don’t require an in-office treatment. Live screenings and consultations time and help dental professionals define the urgency for care, in turn creating an efficient workflow and reserving chair time for more production.
Anytime, asynchronous meetings enable patients and providers to communicate when it’s most convenient for them. Providers and patients can share video recordings, send messages, upload patient documentation or treatment plans, and/or images. Patients can ask questions and get the information they need in circumstances where a face-to-face meeting isn’t necessary. Providers can get a full, clear picture of the patient, their recommended treatment plan and their dental goals. This information allows dental professionals to better treat patients with the limited amount of time they have with patients.
Offer connected care with TeleDent
The synchronous and asynchronous options available for patients also assist in looping in partners or parents and guardians on evaluations, pricing, and treatment options. Getting a patient into the office can be difficult enough, let alone having their partner or guardian join them. For example, college students or teens can connect with dental care and parents or guardians to discuss needed treatment, ultimately getting the needed care sooner. Whether parents have questions about their child’s oral health or a child with oral pain, parents and their children can consult with their provider both synchronously or asynchronously to answer their questions and get their children the care they need in the most efficient way possible.
If an in-office appointment is not immediately available, patients can still receive a preliminary treatment plan and antibiotics during a virtual consultation, leading to patients being more comfortable and more likely to follow through with their treatment plan.
In addition to virtual consultations, TeleDent can also provide patients with compelling case presentations that are accessible wherever and whenever it’s most convenient for everyone involved in the patient care journey. With TeleDent, dentists can send compelling digital case presentations via email or messaging to patients that they can share with spouses, partners, or parents. Everyone involved in the patient journey can stay in the loop without making sacrifices or changes to busy schedules. When patients can pause, rewatch, ask questions and share their case presentations in a comfortable setting, you can spend less time “selling” dentistry and more time hearing “yes” to treatment recommendations.