It is impossible to find a dentist today that claims to have too many patients (1). Yet at the same time there are thousands of people in the United States who don’t have access to dental services (2). Let’s call this a systems paradox. From the dental school curriculum to the way in which the average dental practice is managed, our profession’s systems are built in lockstep and are often out of…
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It’s Time to Think Differently About Access to Dental Care
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Teledentistry: A Path Toward Oral Health Equity
Oral health equity will be achieved when all patients can get the dental care that they need when they need it. In 2018, we are a long way from oral health equity in America. Oral health disparities exist for many racial and ethnic groups, by socioeconomic status, gender, age and geographic location. Tremendous gains have been made in improving oral health in America over the past several decades with such initiatives as…
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Teleorthodontics and Access to Care: At least 84 Percent of Underserved US Counties Now Have Access to Orthodontic Treatment
Over 60 percent (1,972) of the counties in the United States do not have an orthodontist’s office (US Dept. HHS, 2017).* The American Teledentistry Association previously reported this access to orthodontic care issue (ATDA Position Paper, 2018) and highlighted the promise of doctor-directed at home clear aligner therapy as a legitimate delivery model that could increase access to orthodontic care. There are now several companies in the doctor-directed at home clear aligner…