Teledentistry

I am currently a second year dental student. During the pandemic, I have picked new skills such as baking and cooking. My housemate and I had tons of fun making egg tarts and truffle balls the other day. We also been learning how to make Pad Thai from my friends secret family recipe. It can be hard to make plans with friends these days but it is important to recognize that we are in a special time and it is important to social distance in order to protect our loved ones. I also have been working in a research team about teledentistry. I have always been interested in this topic and ever since Covid, I realized that it would be extremely helpful to learn more about it. Teledentistry is the use of information technology and telecommunication for dental care. It provides an easier way to connect with dentistry. It can be especially helpful to assist dentists who work in underserved populations such as rural or less developed areas. For some patients, it might take them hours to commute to their closest dental clinic. It is important to note that in order to achieve the goal of teledentistry, the delivery of care should not be compromised. The services delivered via teledentistry must be consistent with how they would be delivered in-person. It is important for healthcare providers to give enough training to patients to ensure they fully understand how to use the technology. Some training prior to implementing the system would be good for both the patient and the dentist. During Covid, many offices may be closed during certain hours and patients may have limited access so teledenstistry would be extremely helpful. Dental offices also need to train the team to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible. Face masks and social distancing are becoming the new norm but it is important to keep safe during this difficult time.

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This post was contributed by Shuning Liu, Administration Affairs Email Chair at ADEA COSRF District 2 and student at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine ('23). Instagram: @susan1iu