A new survey from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health provides insight into utilization of teledentistry over the past year as well as opportunities for growth beyond the pandemic. The survey asked providers about teledentistry use in early 2021 compared with two timepoints during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (one in June, the other in August).
Results from the survey, summarized in a new report, show that dental providers have grown comfortable with telehealth modalities and have continued to use them even as pandemic-related restrictions have been relaxed.
Key findings include:
- 22% of providers are seeing patients via telehealth, compared with 27% in June 2020 and 23% in August 2020.
- 47% of dental providers are using free virtual meeting software compared to 42% in August 2020.
- 36% of dental providers in 2021 are using a paid telehealth software compared to 29% in August 2020.
The report also reviews the different services dental providers are offering virtually, current barriers to telehealth, and ideas for overcoming these barriers.
You may also be interested in:
- Teledentistry Use Beyond the Pandemic, an infographic that explores four reasons why teledentistry should continue to serve as a tool to improve access to care and health outcomes even after the pandemic ends.
- Teledentistry: What to Know & How It Works, an infographic that aggregates highlights from several surveys and reports to show how teledentistry is growing across different US states.
- Teledentistry: Removing Barriers and Moving Toward Implementation, an infographic that explores the current landscape, barriers, potential solutions, and action steps related to expanding teledentistry.
