Teledentistry: A Solution for Dental Anxiety
Modern dentistry integrates timeless knowledge with the latest in evaluation and treatment tools. One of the most important tools introduced in recent years has been the ability for patients to have a virtual visit with their dentist.
Are you ready for an anxiety-free visit to the dentist? You can have it through a virtual dental checkup – no office visit required.
Today, teledentistry makes dental visits almost effortless. Instead of talking to the dentist and having them do a visual inspection of your mouth from a dental chair, you send them questions and pictures from your phone or computer.
With a simple process and anxiety-free setting, online dental checkups have received high praise from patients. In a CareQuest survey of people who used teledentistry, 86% of participants reported feeling satisfied with their online dental visits and 86% would recommend the service to others.
Whether you avoided dental visits due to anxiety or lack the time to get to a dentist's office, teledentistry serves as a well-received solution to those issues by letting you skip a consultation trip.
While teledentistry uses high tech ways to connect patients and their dentists, you only need a smartphone or computer to use the technology. If you can take pictures with your phone, you can see a virtual dentist.
During an online dental checkup, you send your dentist a close-up view of your mouth and ask any questions about your condition or upcoming in-person dental visits. The dentist will look over your submission and offer their expert, personalized advice for your situation. If the dentist suggests an office follow-up, you'll need to schedule an in-person appointment.
While setting up online dental checkups will help you to get advice on specific questions, these virtual visits cannot replace regular, in-person dental care.
Even with regular checkups to an online dentist, you should also maintain at least two office visits a year for cleaning. Your dentist may also recommend that you come in for annual x-rays or other imaging to spot problems they cannot see from a photo of your mouth.
An online dental checkup can give you a way to talk to your dentist before seeing them in person. The dentist can help you better prepare for cleanings, exams, or treatment and ease any anxieties you have about upcoming in-person visits.
If the thought of going to the dentist gives you anxiety, scheduling a dental checkup online may help to allay your fears. The process of a virtual visit is completely painless and as comfortable as taking a selfie.
During the online checkup, let the dentist know if dental anxiety has kept you away from in-person visits. In their customized recommendation, they can then give you suggestions to reduce your anxiety when you visit in person. For instance, the doctor may reassure you that x-rays are painless and tell you about the solutions the office uses for patient comfort. Knowing that you can listen to soothing music, sit in a massaging treatment chair, or watch TV can help you to feel more comfortable about in-person dental care.
Your dentist offers online checkups to open communication channels with you and help you to feel as comfortable as possible about getting regular in-person care.
Discover a way to ease dental anxiety by seeing a virtual dentist. At 100 West Dental in Ballwin, we've added teledentistry to our lineup of advanced dental solutions to improve patient comfort and care.
Contact us at 100 West Dental to set up your virtual consultation. You'll get access to one of the best dentists in the area, Dr. Brian Prior, without leaving the comfort of your home.
We'd love to provide you and your family with an unexpectedly awesome dental experience. Call (636) 585-0100 or schedule online to set up your visit. We'll be in touch soon.
