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Most of us lead busy lives in today’s fast paced and demanding world, so thinking about scheduling an appointment to visit the dentist when you are experiencing an oral health issue can feel like, well, pulling teeth.
While in some cases scheduling an in-person appointment to see your dentist is necessary for bi-annual cleanings and other hands-on dental care services and treatments, oftentimes a virtual dental appointment is a convenient way to start a conversation with your dentist before receiving treatment.
As the name suggests, Virtual Dentistry falls into the category of Virtual Healthcare. Virtual dental care is a cutting-edge service in this new era of professional and innovative healthcare. For the sake of clarity, the terms Teledentistry and Virtual Dental Care are often used interchangeably.
What is Virtual Healthcare?
Virtual Health Care is a new form of communications technology that allows patients to receive long-distance medical support, healthcare and public health services. This service incorporates wireless communications with video conferencing and streaming media to provide the public with this new form of medical care.
It is important to note that Virtual Healthcare is different from Virtual Medicine. Virtual Medicine refers only to remote clinical services. Virtual Healthcare on the other hand, encompasses a broader spectrum of healthcare services that even includes non-clinical services such as administration, training, and education.
What is Virtual Dentistry?
Virtual Dentistry is a remote service providing patients with dental health care solutions. The sole purpose of this service is to improve access to dentistry for patients by giving them the convenient option of scheduling dental appointments online for a number of reasons and dental health care concerns.
Virtual Dentistry offers a broad spectrum of solutions delivered to remote patients via video conferencing or telephone connections. Patients can communicate with licensed dentists remotely at their convenience, gathering the required information they need before seeking out care from their dentist in person.
What is the Difference Between Virtual Healthcare and Virtual Dentistry?
Virtual Dentistry is a subfield within the greater Virtual Healthcare field, just as dentistry is a subfield of healthcare and medicine. Both services are conducted virtually online over a video conferencing platform between a registered healthcare professional and the patient.
Virtual Healthcare and Virtual Dentistry consultations both require an audio and video connection to allow the two parties to communicate in real time. The difference between these two services is that Virtual Dentistry only includes dental consultations.
Meeting the Demand
The demand for these remote dentistry services seems to be on the rise. As many as 60% of U.S. households with internet access have expressed interest in using these kinds of services.
This is especially true for people living in rural areas or who may not have the time to come into a dental office right away.
Virtual Dentistry is decreasing the cost and time devoted to travel and being able to consult with a professional from the comfort of your own home has become desirable. It has also opened a new realm of opportunity for both patients and dentists, making these services much more accessible and convenient.
An Upgrade on Virtual Dentistry
While the idea of Virtual Dentistry is not a new one, it is evolving to greater heights with new technology. Virtual Dentistry has been around since the invention of the telephone.
Now that technology is far more intricate, dentists can conduct video conferencing consultations, making them more in depth. Dentists are now able to consult and diagnose certain cases before scheduling an in-person visit the following day, week or month as necessary.
By connecting to the patient’s smartphone, laptop or tablet, the dentist can consult with the patient to determine the level of intervention and care they need. It is convenient for both parties to assess the problem ahead of time, especially if the patient needs to take medication or receive any other treatment until the patient can book an appointment. Once the initial problem has been determined, the patient can arrange to see their dentist in person.
Matthews Family Dentistry is a dentist office in Matthews, NC, offering gentle, personalized care via Virtual Visits and in person appointments in a professional, state-of-the-art dental environment. Schedule an appointment with us today and experience the best in oral care for you and your family!
