CONSIDERATIONS FOR TELEDENTISTRY IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19
it encompasses the full range of health activities, including diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, continuing education of health care providers and consumers, and research and evaluation.1 TM enables comprehensive medical history taking, but it also has limitations in areas such as physical examination and auxiliary tests. Most countries lack a regulatory framework to authorize, integrate and reimburse telemedicine services, even in emergency situations.1
Melania González y Rívas, DDS, MPH President, ROCA International Buenos Aires, Argentina Denisse Estrada, DDS, MS, MEd, FCMO Associate Professor, Second Year Undergraduate Director, Pediatric Dentistry National Autonomous University of Mexico, FES. Zaragoza
Teledentistry (TD) is a subunit of telehealth and telemedicine. It is the remote facilitation of dental care, guidance, education, or treatment through the use of information technology rather than through direct face-to-face contact with the patient.2 The term "teledentistry" was used in 1997 by Cook who defined it as the practice of using video conferencing technologies to provide remote treatment advice. Due to the tremendous growth in technological capabilities and connection speeds, TD has the potential to fundamentally change current practice and the face of dental care.2
ABSTRACT In the current COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning to an endemic, the main objective has been to avoid person-to-person contact. The prefix "tele" means "distant", so Teledentistry meets the needs of social distancing as health authorities around the world are compelled, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Teledentistry has been able to be incorporated into the dental practice of daily life, since it offers a variety of applications in the area of health, such as remote triage of suspected COVID-19 patients for dental treatment and the reduction of unnecessary exposure of healthy or uninfected patients by lowering their visits to already overwhelmed dental offices and hospitals. This pandemic is impacting a very large number of people. To reduce their risk of contagion, among the measures taken, visits to health centers have been minimized and telematic consultations have increased. Once the pandemic situation is overcome, it will be necessary to consider whether the practice of telemedicine is limited to situations during a health crisis or can it become a new way of practicing medicine and dentistry. Telemedicine lacks specific regulation and has loopholes that lead the doctor to considerable insecurity. This article will analyze the considerations, precautions, and legal framework for the use of Teledentistry.
TD is not a new concept and it was one of the first projects that was started by the US military in 1994 to serve US troops around the world. Over the years, TD has proven to be beneficial for remote dental screening, making diagnoses, providing consultations, and proposing a treatment plan. It is found to be comparable to real-time consultations in areas with limited access to facilities, in schools, and in long-term health facilities.2 The American Teledentistry Association, 2018 (ATDA) defines TD1,2 as the use of information technology and telecommunications for oral care, consultation, education, and public awareness in the same manner as telehealth. Likewise, TD involves the use of mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic medical records, and portable radiography for the same purposes.2 TD is used in general and specialty practices, orthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, periodontics, and dental public health. The greatest value of TD is the potential to reduce disparities in health care by providing greater access to specialists and timely oral care.3
KEYWORDS: Teledentistry Telemedicine, Teleodontology, Teleodontia, Telehealth, Telematic, Distance health, Legal, Malpractice, Hispanic.
In Boston on May 1, 2018, (ATDA) launched an effort to shape the conversation around the practice of TD as a tool to increase access to care for millions of Americans through the use of innovative technological advances.4
Telemedicine (TM) is the delivery of medical care and the exchange of medical information across distances. The prefix 'tele' derives from the Greek for 'at a distance'; therefore, more simply, telemedicine is medicine from a distance. As such,
Although the use of telehealth has decreased since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is
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