Fees for Teledentistry?

selfie of a patient who called about a
chipped central earlier in the month

Yesterday, I conversed over the phone with a patient whom I haven't seen for several years. He confessed that while he loved having me as his dentist, he had went somewhere else that was less expensive. They had made a crown for a tooth that had come off after two years and they were currently closed due to the pandemic and wouldn't return his calls. He was embarrassed, but he called me for advice and a consultation. I had him take an iPhone photo of his tooth and after evaluating his situation I discussed in length what might have to be done to fix his tooth which appeared to have a horizontal supragingival fracture. I spent around a half hour but I didn't mention any fee for my consultation.

 While some dentists may be billing for  Teledentistry, I personally think making a fee for "virtual appointments" sends a negative message. While we should be available for phone, Facetime or Zoom consultations for all patients and we may even be justified in billing brand new patients ,  billing our existing patients for this service is probably not the best option.

Let's face it, the fees generated by assessing fees for these consultations will not make much of a difference in the bottom line for dental practices.  Billing dental patients for their on line consultations is may not be well received, since most patients are already upset and worried when they reach out to us.  This is the time to show genuine empathy and concern and billing our patients for taking their calls undercuts  this goal.

While we can justify not seeing our patients for all but the most significant emergencies, we shouldn't charge them for our remote evaluations. After all these are the times that "try mens souls" and how we behave may effect whether our patients choose to remain in our practices when things get back the "new normal".

Ultimately we live or die by maintaining both the health and  good will of our patients. Once our offices reopen patients are more likely to patronize dentists whose actions have consistently demonstrated empathy and concern for their well being.