Dental education is key to reaching the full potential of teledentistry, the American Dental Education Association said in an October report.
The report, "Teledentistry: Innovation to Improving Access and Delivery to Oral Health Care Services in Dental Education," details the benefits of expanding teledentistry and its inclusion in education.
While the use of teledentistry has increased at dental practices nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, additional training is needed to teach dental professionals how to use the technology, the dental education group said in an Oct. 27 news release.
"Health delivery systems, oral health stakeholders and policymakers have a critical role in ensuring teledentistry’s parity is achieved to continue delivering optimal oral health services," the report said. "Looking into the future, academic dentistry will be pivotal in educating and training the dentists of tomorrow on teledentistry modalities and offering a new perspective on the delivery of oral health care."