Teledentistry Adoption and Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Margaret Langelier, MSHSA | Theekshana Fernando, MBBS, MPH, CHES® | Simona Surdu, MD, PhD | Alex Romero

Topics: COVID-19, Oral Health, Telehealth

Research Center: Oral Health Workforce Research Center

August 15, 2023

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of teledentistry was limited; The utility of teledentistry was widely questioned in light of the predominately procedural nature of dentistry. Due to the closures of dental practices and organizations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, teledentistry quickly became a useful tool for dental providers to connect with patients.

This report 1) reviews the enabling statutes and regulations for the provision of teledentisty services in each of the 51 regulatory jurisdictions in the US, and 2) discusses themes that emerged from dental provider interviews on the use of teledentisty prior to, during, and subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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