Teledentistry allows you to receive dental services remotely instead of seeing a dentist in person. While a dentist can’t fill a cavity or pull a tooth from a distance, you can receive a surprising variety of dental services in the comfort of your own home. This includes advice about oral health issues, help with dental emergencies, and even some at-home treatments.
There are two main ways dentists can provide teledentistry services:
Synchronous teledentistry. This refers to live, two-way interaction with your dentist. It may take the form of a real-time video call. Dentists may also communicate with their patients through mobile devices, such as cell phones or tablet computers.
Asynchronous teledentistry. Also called store-and-forward teledentistry, this method doesn’t rely on real-time interactions. Instead, recorded information is passed back and forth. For example, your dentist may ask you to submit photographs or videos for their review.
Your dentist may provide virtual care through a secure patient portal, such as the Teledent dental services platform. Patient portals may be accessed through your computer’s web browser, or in some cases, through a mobile app.