Ep. 678 - Teledentistry: Integrating Virtual Care into Your Practice

Are you leaving money on the table by turning away emergency callers or missing opportunities to triage patients more efficiently? What if you could transform your practice workflow while reaching underserved populations in your community?

Dr. Maria Kunstadter brings over a decade of pioneering experience in teledentistry implementation and is co-founder of the first teledentistry consultation platform, The Teledentist, launched in 2014. She has dedicated her career to advancing virtual dental care, educating dental professionals on teledentistry integration, and addressing the crisis of patients seeking dental care in emergency rooms—a $2.8 billion healthcare burden with minimal treatment outcomes.

This conversation explores how teledentistry extends far beyond direct-to-consumer orthodontics to become a practical workflow enhancement that can serve as your practice's "fifth chair." Dr. Kunstadter demonstrates how approximately 25% of dental office visits don't require hands-on care and can be managed virtually, from emergency triaging to clear aligner monitoring to new patient consultations. The discussion covers HIPAA-compliant platforms, billing considerations, and strategic implementation approaches that can improve both patient access and practice efficiency.

Episode Highlights:

• Emergency triaging through video consultations allows dentists to assess symptoms, prescribe antibiotics when appropriate, and schedule definitive treatment during optimal time slots rather than disrupting the daily schedule. Patients can demonstrate oral conditions using their smartphones, enabling visual assessment of swelling, lesions, or traumatic injuries without requiring immediate office visits.
• Clear aligner therapy follow-up appointments can be conducted virtually in approximately one-third of cases, eliminating routine "looks good, here's your next aligner" visits that consume chair time without generating significant revenue. Patients receive aligners by mail after virtual progress assessments, reducing staff time and improving patient convenience.
• After-hours and weekend emergency consultations can be scheduled through teledentistry platforms, capturing new patients who would otherwise seek care elsewhere when traditional offices are closed. This approach transforms emergency situations into scheduled consultations with proper documentation and billing opportunities.
• Treatment planning consultations can include multiple family members from different locations simultaneously, improving case acceptance through enhanced communication and reducing the need for multiple office visits. Remote consultations allow for thorough discussion of treatment options, costs, and scheduling without the pressure of in-office time constraints.
• Integration with emergency departments addresses the 2.2 million annual dental-related ER visits, providing appropriate specialist consultation and medication management while facilitating referrals to dental offices for definitive treatment. This model reduces healthcare costs and improves patient outcomes through proper dental triage.

Perfect for: General dentists seeking workflow efficiency improvements, practice owners looking to expand patient access and capture after-hours emergencies, and dental teams interested in implementing virtual care protocols. Specialists managing follow-up care and practitioners serving underserved populations will find valuable implementation strategies.

Discover how teledentistry can become your practice's competitive advantage in reaching the 50% of the population without regular dental care.