Revolutionizing Oral Health Care with Teledentistry
Deamonte Driver was a 12-year-old who died from an untreated dental infection in 2007. Despite multiple emergency visits and medical care totalling $250,000 (including two brain surgeries), no one at that time had thought to do a simple dental examination that could have saved his life.
Deamonte’s tragic story not only underscores the consequences of inadequate dental care; but more importantly, it highlights a number of challenges within our healthcare system that could be resolved with better integration of oral health care via teledentistry.
Dr. Maria Kunstadter, DDS is the CEO of The TeleDentists, the first-to-market 24/7/365 virtual dentistry solution. She cofounded The TeleDentists to help address the challenges our health system is facing due to a lack of integration between medical and dental care:
Why Bring Dental Care into Hospitals
- In 2018, there were around 2 million emergency room (ER) visits for dental-related conditions. Only about 5 percent of these dental-related ER visits are admitted to the hospital; the other 95% are being referred to dental clinics without treatment. This means about 95 percent of these dental-related ER visits could be avoided, saving $1.7 billion in ER visit costs.
- Research has also shown that oral health is closely linked to systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. This highlights the importance of addressing oral health status alongside these conditions. By including proper oral care with medical care, we can help improve patient health, reducing overall healthcare costs
- Health systems are also realizing the importance of integrated dental medical teams. I’m a recent Becker’s article, David Hirsch, MD, DDS, senior vice president of dental medicine at Northwell notes that most acute care services such as valve replacements from cardiac surgery to organ transplants to head and neck radiation treatments require some kind of clearance from dental medicine. Not having a dentist as part of the team adds an extra burden on patients to get that clearance from private dental clinics.
The Role of Teledentistry in Addressing Healthcare Challenges
One way to affordably bring dentists into hospitals with minimal disruption could be through virtual dental consultations. Teledentists allow different departments and service lines (included emergency rooms) the ability to virtually access a dentist on-demand from any facility. The technology bridges the geography gap offering dental care accessibility from anywhere particularly in remote areas. By providing timely consultations, teledentistry reduces the need for costly emergency room visits. Research indicates that integrating oral health into primary care can lower healthcare costs by 17%. With 125 million people needing dental help and many resorting to emergency rooms, teledentistry can disrupt the cycle of inefficiency and high costs, ensuring patients receive appropriate care.
Preventive Care and Cost Savings
Teledentistry can also play a crucial role in preventing hospital-acquired conditions such as pneumonia and sepsis. Hospitals (and senior living centers) can easily bring in a virtual dentist for regular oral check-ups to help prevent these conditions. Research has demonstrated that toothbrushing monitoring programs in hospitals can prevent pneumonia, saving millions in healthcare costs. In one study, a simple toothbrushing program prevented 117 cases of pneumonia, resulting in $4.4 million in savings. This highlights the significant impact preventive dental care can have on both patient outcomes and healthcare expenses.
The Global Impact of Teledentistry and Future Goals
The potential of teledentistry extends beyond the United States. Virtually training healthcare professionals to apply fluoride varnish and decay-stopping medications can dramatically decrease the prevalence of oral diseases globally. Teledentistry can also provide access to techniques that reverse tooth decay, improve overall oral health, and prevent common oral diseases.
In conclusion, teledentistry is a transformative solution that can significantly enhance oral healthcare, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. By integrating oral health into primary care and leveraging telehealth technologies, we can address the silent epidemic of oral disease and ensure better health for all.
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About Speaker
In 2013, Dr. Kunstadter was appointed the Dental Director of The PAINS Alliance of Kansas City, an organization developed to address chronic pain in the wake of the opioid crisis.
She is the co-founder of The TeleDentists, the first Teledental platform to provide dental consultation services to the healthcare industry. The TeleDentists has service nationwide and provides urgent dental consultations. The TeleDentists Education Center provides oral health education, training for staff and patients and delivers oral health surveys to customers. The company is also the dental specialists for telehealth companies, urgent care, senior living and retail center.
