Greater uptake of teledentistry in Australia could remove the geographic and cost barriers currently preventing people from accessing dental care, according to a new report. The white paper entitled ‘Enabling dental treatment via telehealth’ reveals many Australians are unable to access the dental care they need, resulting in a significant portion of the population experiencing poor oral health.
The research points to affordability and access as key barriers for Australians seeking dental care. It also shows the pandemic has exacerbated the issue, with nearly half of Australians neglecting their oral health in 2020 and not having a dental health check in the 12 months leading up to December 2020 (SmileDirectClub).
Dr Jeffrey Sulitzer, Chief Clinical Officer of SmileDirectClub, the oral care company with the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, says individuals will benefit if teledentistry achieves the same acceptance as telehealth does more broadly.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen both uptake and trust in telehealth services increase. Globally, innovative new models of care are changing the way people access health services – driven by a desire for services that are efficient, cost-effective and responsive to people’s needs.”
“Teledentistry is the newest frontier in oral care. In a country as geographically dispersed as Australia, where people are also experiencing significant cost of living pressures, it has the potential to help Australians overcome the financial and geographical barriers they face when accessing traditional dental care. Teledentistry could be particularly impactful for Australians living in regional communities, where in 2019-20, a quarter of people reported that they needed to see a dental professional but did not, that’s twice as many as in major cities,” said Dr Sulitzer.
A leader in international oral care and currently operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, France and Australia, SmileDirectClub is the international pioneer of the dentist-directed telehealth clear aligner industry.
SmileDirectClub’s innovative model of care means Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered dentists and orthodontists can prescribe teeth-straightening aligners via telehealth at up to a 60 percent lower cost than traditional braces1 to their patients.
As noted by Dr Sulitzer, “More than ever, dentistry needs to adapt to the changing world and the needs of Australians to access high quality and affordable dental care. Your income or where you live should not be a barrier to accessing life-changing, high-quality dental care.”
KEY FACTS
- 35 per cent of Australians over the age of 15 are uncomfortable about the appearance of their mouth and teeth.
- Over a third of Australians aged 15 and over have untreated tooth decay and 29 per cent have periodontal pockets over 4mm (Australian Dental Association).
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data shows that nearly 40 per cent of Australians aged 15 and over avoided or delayed seeing a dentist due to cost in 2017, while nearly a quarter of adults who did visit a dentist said cost prevented them from having the dental treatment their dentist recommended.
- There are half as many dentists available to treat people in regional areas compared to major cities, and even fewer in remote areas (AIHW) and 65 percent of dental practitioners strongly agree teledentistry would benefit rural or remote patients (British Dental Journal).
“As a leading telehealth innovator, we know first-hand how telehealth and teledentistry services can help deliver more accessible, affordable and convenient care for patients,” Dr Sulitzer said.
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