Like every other profession, dentistry has spent much of 2020 adapting to the ever-shifting landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. One such adaptation has been the dawning of teledentistry as a key player in the provision of oral healthcare.
As dentists have innovated and created new ways of communicating with, and treating their patients, certain benefits and opportunities have emerged. One such opportunity is an enhanced provision of special care.
“What COVID and the teledentistry experience has shown us is that we can improve the quality of care and the quality of life for many individuals who do not currently have access to care.”
Dr. Clive Friedman is a pediatric dentist from London, ON, and a past president of the International Association for Disability in Oral Health. In this discussion with Dr. John O’Keefe, Director of Knowledge Networks CDA, Dr. Friedman reviews three key presentations from this year’s IADH Research Competition which highlight how innovations in teledentistry are enhancing oral healthcare in terms of education, mentoring and treatment, and the use of teledentistry to minimize administrative burden, particularly for individuals with special needs.
Dr. Friedman suggests that the benefits of teledentistry are too great to discount once the pandemic is over, and he appeals to each dentist in the community to embrace it as a way of improving access to care. He also looks forward to a time when dental schools incorporate teledentistry into their curriculum.
We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.
Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team
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