Within the wake of COVID-19, new social distancing measures and tighter cross an infection controls have created many challenges for dental professionals.

As recommendation and suggestions for DCPs continues to evolve concerning fallow intervals, remedies and affected person capability, there may be now extra emphasis on creating relationships with sufferers exterior of the dental apply setting.

For many, this implies finishing up distant consultations.

Distant consultations and digital appointments have gotten more and more standard as a way to triage and assess sufferers.  This presents a chance for dentistry to comply with of their footsteps and undertake a brand new method of working. ¹

The 2 commonest methods to carry out these are by phone and video convention.

When distant consultations are appropriate

The place face-to-face appointments are usually not a possible possibility, distant consultations could be a well timed and wise answer.

For distant consultations to be a sensible different, you must be assured which you could sufficiently assess the affected person each precisely and successfully.  If this isn’t the case, then sufferers ought to be suggested about tips on how to search essentially the most admire dental care for his or her scenario, based mostly upon native authorities pointers. ¹

You must make an observation within the affected person’s scientific data that you’ve assessed their suitability for distant session. ¹

Through the distant session itself, it will be important that each the dentist and affected person can reliably determine each other.  It is strongly recommended that you simply additionally make clear for the affected person why an appointment in individual has not been attainable. ¹

When coping with emergency, sufferers ought to be inspired to hunt face-to-face help, based mostly upon their native authorities pointers. ¹

We’d additionally counsel that sufferers recognized as being at elevated caries threat ought to be booked in an appointment on the apply as quickly as attainable.

New sufferers

Distant consultations are extra advisable for current sufferers the place you will have entry to their present dental data.  Nevertheless, there could also be distinctive circumstances to this.

Distant session with new sufferers ought to solely be undertaken if you happen to can acquire enough scientific and medical info.  That is important in case you are to evaluate the affected person and supply distant recommendation.

If you happen to can’t suitably assess the affected person, you’ll be able to both e-book them into an appointment at your apply or information them to close by remedy centres, relying on native authorities pointers.

Distant session/evaluation with follow-up prescription

Prescriptions could be issued to sufferers who’ve a distant evaluation by the dentist.  These could be made if:

• It’s clinically justified and in accordance with native laws.

• It’s the most acceptable remedy possibility.

• You might be happy that you’ve full details about the affected person’s medical historical past.

• You might have been capable of absolutely assess the affected person’s dental drawback and wishes. It is vital that you simply present proof for this within the affected person’s dental data.

• The affected person is on a repeat prescription and requires on-going prevention/remedy with excessive fluoride toothpaste.

All prescriptions made following distant consultations ought to be collected on the dental apply.

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Sources

1. Normal Dental Council (2020) ‘Excessive degree ideas for good apply in distant consultations and prescribing’ on-line at https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/guidance-documents/high-level-principles-remote-consultations-and-prescribing.pdf, accessed October 2020.

This marketing campaign is delivered by the Oral Well being Basis, a charity creating more healthy communities by delivering higher oral well being. The marketing campaign is sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive.