Notice Of Teledentistry Practices

The teledentistry system allows a dentist to view your records through the internet. The dentist will then make recommendations about your treatment. The dentist may not see you in person.

1.  What is a teledentistry consultation?

Teledentistry means a real-time interaction between a patient and a dental health care provider located at a distant site.  It can also include the transmission of a patient’s health information from an originating site to the dental health care provider at a distant site. This information may be reviewed at a later time.  It is a way to provide care for people who do not or cannot go to a dentist’s office. Teledentistry uses electronic dental records such as electronic versions of X-rays, photographs, recordings of the condition of your teeth, health and other history information. The goal of the teledentistry is to have the dentist create recommendations for you for dental care.

2.  What happens during teledentistry consultation?

The Dentist or other licensed dental professionals authorized by and under the direction of the Dentist will examine your mouth and collect electronic dental records. That person will record what she/he sees. Your medical and dental history and personal health information may be discussed with other health professionals. These discussions will occur through phone calls or “store and forward” technology. A teledentistry consultation may require more than one visit.

3.  What are the risks, benefits and alternatives?

The benefits of teledentistry include having access to a dentist and additional dental information without having to travel to a dental office or clinic.  A potential risk of teledentistry is that a face-to-face consultation with a dentist may still be necessary after the teledentistry appointment. This could be because of your specific medical or dental condition or for other reasons. Recommendations will be made to you about your future dental care after the teledentistry consultation. These could include recommendations about whether or not to see a dentist in a dental office or dental clinic. A visit to a dental office may be needed in the future even if it is not recommended now. The recommendations may change if more information about your dental needs becomes known. The alternative to teledentistry consultation is a face-to-face visit with a dentist. The practice of dentistry is not an exact science. Therefore, any specific results cannot be guaranteed.

4.  Confidentiality.

Current federal and state laws about confidentiality apply to the information used or disclosed during your teledentistry consultation.  A separate document, which describes how your private information will be handled, is known as the “Notice of Privacy Practices” and can be found on the dental practice’s website.

5.  Rights.

You may choose not to participate in a teledentistry consultation at any time before and/or during the consultation. If you decide not to participate, it will not affect your right to future care or treatment. You have the option to seek dental consultation or treatment in a dental office at any time before or after the teledentistry consultation. If an injury occurs as a result of procedures provided hereunder, notify the Dentist.  He or she will make arrangements for appropriate treatment of the injury.