The way we communicate today strongly depends on the capacities of the digital world. Living through pandemic, we learned how heavily our society relies on the Internet, social media and web video-based calls to keep us connected.
In this blog post, we like to share more about remote teleorthodontics with our readers.
Dentistry IQ has described tele-orthodontics (a division of teledentistry) as an “innovation that’s changing the marketplace and making it easier for orthodontic services to reach patients.” With technology rapidly advancing, it’s possible that tele-orthodontics improve the quality of orthodontic care
PORTH was established fully embracing digital orthodontics in our day to day operation. Moving through the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Rooz and his team remained connected with their patients utilizing the digital technology previously set at our clinic.
We take pride as a leader in digital orthodontics with a focus on creating personalized care. Part of our digital orthodontic services is tele-orthodontics which helps providing remote monitoring of orthodontic treatment while our clinic was only open to emergencies. Some of our patients picked their custom appliances including PORTH aligners curb-sides.
Tele-orthodontics pivots around remotely monitoring the treatment using digital technology. An example is weekly checks on treatment progress for an adult patient wearing PORTH aligners. Or virtually monitoring a child transitioning from baby teeth to adults teeth to avoid missing the windows for intervention if required.
It is essential to know that this approach is an additional strategy in rendering care and cannot replace some steps during the treatment. For example, the patients need to visit our clinic for acquiring complete pre-treatment records.
Additionally, all systems at PORTH are designed to protect patient privacy. We use specialized software platforms that are HIPPA protected.
Teledentistry is focused more on the overall oral health of a patient and offered by dentists. teledentistry includes various sub-divisions where remote dental services can be delivered through digital technology. Tele oral medicine, tele oral radiology or tele orthodontics are some of these fields. Some of the benefits of teledentistry is to provide better access to care, reduce the number of appointments to reduce unnecessary commute.
American association of orthodontists (AAO) official journal clearly explains the differences between these two here.
In essence, orthodontic services provided in a clinic or through teleorthodontics has to follow the high quality standard of care. DIY braces or box orthodontics often falls short of this standard by skipping some crucial steps.
Most patients carry powerful smartphones in their pockets these days. Kids learn how to use touch screens before typing on a keyboard or drawing with a pencil.
With cutting edge technology becoming more accessible, it’s more than likely that online platforms to digitally connect with patients will only expand. There will certainly always be a time and a place for in-office visits to your orthodontist/dentist, yet tele-orthodontics will allow for more flexibility for both the patient and doctor.
There are many benefits to the practice of tele-orthodontics that span far beyond the physical distancing restrictions and aim to increase efficiency. At Porth, Dr. Rooz is a text away to all his patients. They don’t need to browse through 50 pages of Google to find out what is wrong with your teeth. We believe in easy access to accurate information.
Example of what scientist practitioners and Dr. Rooz are working on beyond the scope of PORTH (day-to-day practice) is rendering aligner treatment to kids with cleft lips or palates living in rural areas using very simple cell phones to take photos and text. Similarly, teledentistry research studies are in progress to educate patients by collecting data with simple questionnaires and delivering customized informational resources based on patient conditions.
Our patients can benefit from a more customized treatment with the use of tele-orthodontics. Oftentimes, orthodontists will schedule patients to have in-office visits at a pre-set interval of average time frames. Of course, these pre-set intervals aren’t always ideal for every patient. With the convenience of our remote monitoring during orthodontic treatment, our orthodontists can check-in with our patients more often. From there, they can determine any changes needed in the treatment plan and adjust accordingly. This helps us to create a more personalized experience.
There are three different types of tele-orthodontics models that are used at Porth Personalized Orthodontics. These models include live video chat, remote patient monitoring and store-and-forward. In the orthodontic community, the store-and-forward method is used most frequently. When participating in a store-and-forward appointment, the patient will meet with our team, who will collect data, photos, videos, radiographs and other forms of tracking your remote progress. The information will then be saved and stored for us to review.
A live video (tele-orthodontic) appointment consists of the patient and provider sitting down together in real-time and engaging with one another via a streaming platform. Currently, due to social distancing restrictions, real-time consultations over video and communication over text messaging have gained significant popularity in orthodontic practices. Named appropriately, remote patient monitoring is when technology is applied to monitor a patient’s treatment and progression remotely.
At Porth Personalized Orthodontics, we have AI-driven software that aids our approach to tele-orthodontics. The software we use allows our patients to complete orthodontic scans in the form of photos or videos at home with the use of their smartphone. Our orthodontic team is then able to offer real-time monitoring of remote orthodontic treatment.
Telehealth as a whole consists of three different types of models. These models include live video, remote patient monitoring and store-and-forward. In the orthodontic community, the store-and-forward method is used most frequently. When participating in a store-and-forward appointment, the patient will meet with a dental professional who will collect data, photos, videos, radiographs and other forms of tracking your remote progress. The information will then be saved and stored for your orthodontist/dentist to review at a later date.
A live video tele-orthodontics appointment consists of the patient and provider sitting down together in real-time and engaging with one another via a streaming platform. Currently, due to social distancing restrictions, real-time consultations over video have gained significant popularity in dental and orthodontic practices. Named appropriately, remote patient monitoring is when technology is applied to monitor a patient’s treatment and progression remotely.
At PORTH Personalized Orthodontics, we have AI-driven software that allows us to conduct tele-orthodontics. The software allows our patients to complete orthodontic scans in the form of photos or videos at home with the use of their smartphone. Our orthodontic team is then able to offer real-time monitoring of remote orthodontic treatment. Additionally, our methods also include video chat, photo exchange, virtual consulting and systems that allow us to communicate with our patients through text messages.
Our team at PORTH Personalized Orthodontics has a strong focus on digital orthodontics as a whole – from digital 3D scanning and printing to tele-orthodontics. As a result, our treatment is designed to take on a more active approach. We create what we want the outcome to achieve and build an appliance for that purpose, as opposed to looking at what’s happening and ‘reacting’ only to that issue. Since treatment is digitally stimulated in our orthodontic office, we have a better understanding of what is happening at any given time and can track progress more precisely.
If you would like to find out more about the services offered at PORTH Personalized Orthodontics, such as PORTH Aligners & Invisalign and lingual orthodontics. We provide high quality care to children, teens and adults, give us a call or text us at (425) 526-2060 or email us at Care.team@porth.io.