Impacts of State Policies on Provision of Teledentistry Services by Safety Net Providers

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