Cost savings from a teledentistry model for school dental screening: an Australian health system perspective.

Conclusions The present study shows that the teledentistry model of dental screening can minimise costs. The estimated savings were due primarily to the low salaries of dental therapists and the avoidance of travel and accommodation costs. Such savings could be redistributed to improve infrastructure and oral health services in rural or other underserved areas.What is known about the topic? Caries is a preventable disease, which, if it remains untreated, can cause significant morbidity requiring costly treatment. Regular dental screening and oral health education have the great potential to improve oral health and save significant resources. The use of role substitution, such as using MLDPs to provide oral care has been well acknowledged worldwide because of their ability to provide safe and effective care. The teledentistry approach for dental screening offers a comparable diagnostic performance to the traditional visual approach.What does this paper add? The results of the present study suggest that teledentistry is a practical and economically viable approach for mass dental screening not only for isolated communities, but also for underserved urban communities. The costs of the teledentistry model were substantially lower than the costs associated with a conventional, face-to-face approach to dental screening in both remote and urban areas. The primary driver of net savings is the low salary of MLDPs and avoidance of travel and overnight accommodation by MLDPs.What are th...
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research