Teledentistry in a Post-COVID-19 World: Assessing Adoption, Integration, and Policy

Telehealth has been slower in uptake in the dental care sector than in medical or behavioral care and has been primarily used for screening and to extend care to areas where no in-person dental services are available. The COVID-19 pandemic has most dental services currently shuttered, and the high risk of dentistry as an aerosol-generating service presents huge barriers to reopening, as business cannot be “as usual.” Teledentistry has become a critical bridge for connecting patients and providers as services are brought back online.  Assessing the rapidly evolving use of teledentistry and supports needed at the state and national policy level will be critical to enhancing use of these services to improve the safety and access to needed dental care in the post-COVID-19 world. This project will review policy changes and practices using interviews and policy reviews in 5-7 states.