Teledentistry is attracting growing interest among practices in Switzerland. But in reality, one question keeps coming up: is it genuinely useful in day-to-day dental practice?
In practice, it all depends on how you use it. Teledentistry obviously does not replace in-office care. However, it can be highly relevant for initial triage or ongoing follow-up. Discover the situations where remote care helps you save time without compromising patient care.
What is teledentistry in practical terms?
Teledentistry refers to the use of digital tools to carry out certain interactions or stages of dental care remotely.
In practice, three main uses can be distinguished:
- Teleconsultation, between you and the patient
- Tele-expertise, to exchange with colleagues
- Remote monitoring of a treatment
The key is to use remote consultation tools where they truly add value.
In which cases is teledentistry relevant for a dental practice?
Whether you are still training to become a dentist or looking to open a dental practice, teledentistry can make your daily work easier. Not all consultation reasons are suitable, of course, but certain use cases are particularly well adapted — especially for managing emergencies temporarily or ensuring high-quality follow-up.
Carry out initial triage before an appointment
When a patient contacts you about pain or discomfort, a remote exchange may be enough to assess the level of urgency.
This allows you to:
- Reassure the patient
- Request photos if needed
- Provide initial advice
- Organise the next steps of in-practice care more efficiently
In this type of situation, teledentistry mainly helps you guide patients more effectively.
Prepare a first consultation
For a new patient, a preliminary exchange can help clarify the request, collect key initial information, and better prepare the appointment.
The benefit is simple: the in-practice consultation becomes more focused and therefore smoother.
Ensure post-operative follow-up
After an extraction or surgery, not all check-ups necessarily require a visit.
A short remote consultation can help:
- Check that healing is progressing normally
- Address patient concerns
- Identify potential complications more quickly
This is one of the simplest uses of teledentistry to implement.
Monitor certain treatments over time
In some cases, particularly in orthodontics, regularly submitted photos may be enough to monitor progress between appointments.
This does not replace clinical check-ups, but it can avoid certain unnecessary intermediate visits.
Request a second opinion on a complex case
Tele-expertise can also bring real value to your practice. When a case falls outside your usual scope, discussing it with a colleague or specialist helps confirm your decision before referring the patient.
This is useful both for ensuring safe care and for increasing your clinical confidence.
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The benefits of teledentistry
The value of teledentistry is not just technological. When used correctly, it can improve how your practice is organised.
In particular, it allows you to:
- Reserve in-person visits for cases that truly require them
- Avoid certain low-value clinical appointments
- Streamline follow-up for some patients
- Improve accessibility, especially for elderly patients, those with reduced mobility, or those living in less accessible areas
For patients, the advantages are clear: fewer unnecessary trips, greater responsiveness, and a stronger sense of support.
For you as a dentist or orthodontist, the benefits are primarily organisational.
When is teledentistry not suitable?
The main limitation of teledentistry stems from your profession: dental care very often requires an in-practice examination.
Teledentistry therefore does not replace:
- A full dental examination
- Technical procedures
- In-mouth treatments
It should remain a complementary tool. Whenever there is clinical uncertainty, or when a procedure is required, an in-person consultation is, of course, the appropriate course of action.
How can you integrate it without complicating your organisation?
The most effective approach is to start small. There is no need to transform your entire workflow at once.
In general, the easiest uses to implement are:
- Triage of certain non-urgent requests
- Post-operative follow-up
- Selected pre-consultations
To ensure smooth integration, we recommend focusing on these two points:
1. Choose the right tool
In Switzerland, data protection is a key concern. The tool you use must comply with applicable requirements in terms of confidentiality and security, particularly the nLPD and medical confidentiality.
2. Define your clinical boundaries
The real issue is not only technical — it is clinical. You need to determine in which situations a remote assessment is sufficient, and when it is not.
What about the legal framework and reimbursement?
From a legal standpoint, your obligations remain the same as for in-person care: confidentiality, patient consent, documentation, and professional responsibility.
In practice, teledentistry should currently be seen primarily as a tool for organisation, follow-up, and improving access to care.
Should you get started?
The right question is not whether you should digitise your practice at all costs.
A more useful question is: which use cases could already save you time without adding complexity to your organisation?
For many practices, the answer lies in a few very concrete cases: initial triage, post-operative follow-up, or faster access to a second opinion.
That is often enough for teledentistry to find its place — without disrupting your practice.
