Reviewing Teledentistry Usage in Canada during COVID-19 to Determine Possible Future Opportunities

Sonica Singhal, Shwetabh Mohapatra and Carlos Quiñonez
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Sonica Singhal: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
Shwetabh Mohapatra: Faculty of Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
Carlos Quiñonez: Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Ontario, Toronto, ON L1H 7K4, Canada

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the limited in-person availability of oral health care providers resulted in an unprecedented utilization of the teledentistry tool. This paper reviews how Canadian organizations supported teledentistry and what can be expected about its usage in the post-pandemic era. An environmental scan across relevant Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial organizations was conducted to review pertinent publicly available documents, including dental regulators’ or associations’ COVID-19 guidance documents, government documents, and media articles. Almost all jurisdictions promoted teledentistry for triaging dental emergencies and screening patients for COVID-19 symptoms but not even half of them have developed guidelines in terms of modalities of usage, handling of personal information, informed consent process, or maintaining standards of practice. During the COVID-19 recovery phase, these advances across Canada will support in developing a comprehensive guidance for teledentistry and possibly specific codes for its utilization. This can create a niche for teledentistry as an adjunct to the main stream dental care delivery where some visits can always be accommodated virtually, reducing disparities in oral healthcare between rural and urban communities. Ultimately, this can potentially make oral health care delivery more effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly in Canada.

Keywords: teledentistry; environmental scan; virtual care; access to care; COVID-19; adjunct service (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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