Teaching telehealth

A TEATL grant-funded initiative introduces new oral health care providers to teledentistry.

Boyen Huang, DDS, MHA, PhD, professor of dental public health and Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, first began exploring the impact of teledentistry in a previous role in Australia. Because of the spread of individuals throughout the country, with many people living far from an urban center, Australia made for a good location to explore the use of telehealth services for oral health care.

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Huang saw teledentistry “suddenly become a quite popular option for dental services.” It was a need for which technology was readily available, but one that would require special training.

“We were going to ask our students and clinicians to provide these services, but because of the sudden onset of the pandemic, we hadn’t prepared them,” he explained. “We had started providing lectures and teledentistry encounters, but we weren’t providing our students with simulation training.” 

Huang partnered with Cyndee Stull, DHSc, MDH, RDH, director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, Karin Quick, PhD, DDS, director of the Division of Dental Public Health, Angie Hastings, DMD, director of the Division of Outreach, Sheila Riggs, DDS, MS, DMSc, associate professor and then-Chair of the Department of Primary Dental Care, and M Simulation to determine the best ways to incorporate teledentistry practice into the curriculum.

“Teledentistry can be one solution to improve the care of our most vulnerable populations, who often experience difficulties in accessing oral health care in a timely manner,” Stull explained “Simulation seemed to us to be the best way to provide the students with an opportunity to practice teledentistry skills in a real-world scenario.”

With the help of a Technology Enhanced Award for Teaching and Learning—a School of Dentistry grant providing funds to full-time faculty to support the acquisition of new technology that impacts teaching and learning environments—Huang and his team purchased intraoral cameras and webcams. Using that equipment, and supported by additional funding and expertise from colleagues at M Simulation, they developed a pilot project within the Understanding Health Systems course.

The simulation began as an in-class project for DDS learners, with the goal of introducing students to the technology required for telehealth. As the program developed over the years, Huang and his collaborators brought in dental hygiene and dental therapy students and incorporated live patient simulations with standardized patients, focusing on the technology, communication and interdisciplinary aspects of teledentistry. 

“I am thrilled that we have been able to introduce all three provider types to the practice of teledentistry through simulation,” shared Hastings. ”I am passionate about teledentistry and its effectiveness in decreasing barriers that patients face to receiving timely care, specifically for patients in rural areas, those who reside in long term care facilities or nursing homes, and school-aged children whose parents may not otherwise have time to bring them to the dentist.  The creation of the teledentistry simulation has been a true collaboration from day one between dental public health, dental hygiene, community outreach and engagement, IT and M Simulation. Beyond giving our students a basic foundation of how to use teledentistry once they step into their future practices, the biggest win that has come out of this simulation is the interprofessionalism we have observed between dental, dental therapy, and dental hygiene students.  They have experienced peer to peer learning surrounding scope of practice and have reported that they can see themselves utilizing team-based care in the real world as a result of this course.”

Clinic, clasroom and beyond

Across four  years, the team worked hard to create an environment that accurately simulates the teledentistry environment. 

Learners started with didactic instruction on the concept of teledentistry and the concepts unique to this method of care. 

Classes were then split up into teams across the clinic floor in Moos Tower. In the “remote clinic,” a dental hygiene or dental therapy student saw a standardized patient–portrayed by a real person. They collected assessment data, conducted an examination and simulated the capture of intraoral images.

Meanwhile, DDS students based at the “central clinic” reviewed intraoral images and assessment data created for the course, evaluated and produced a treatment plan. 

The two clinics then joined together on a video conference, in which the DDS student provided the treatment plan and spoke with the standardized patient, as well as the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy student, about how to implement the plan. Both student sets had the opportunity to work with the patient and answer any questions they might have. 

After the plan was delivered, students from both sides of the clinic joined together with the patient and a faculty member to debrief, discuss lessons learned and hear the patient’s perception of the experience.

“We have completed our fourth iteration, and every year we implement the lessons learned from the previous year to improve the experience for our students,” explained Stull. As they  discern future pathways for simulation opportunities as the original program concludes, Huang hopes to further explore the students’ understanding of scope of practice across programs, engage in advanced problem-solving and encourage continued adaptation to new forms of technology—improving the accessibility of dental services and the quality of care provided through teledentistry.

“I hope our students can learn not just what we show them, but how to solve problems that may arise,” Huang explained. “That includes problems with communication, with technology, from the limitations of their environment or in policy. I hope they will continue to develop and learn.”

Learners who participated in the simulation found it valuable and engaging. Zachary Schepers, DDS ’26, was drawn to the opportunity for its interprofessional nature and the ability to experience a new kind of treatment.

“This experience demonstrated the importance of trust and collaboration between the dentist and their dental team,” he reflected. “I was surprised with how well a virtual teledentistry appointment could be utilized as a patient education tool. This foundational simulation experience will help me integrate teledentistry into my future dental practice and reach underserved populations in need of access to care.” 

Samrawi Aron, BSDH ’25, MDT ’26, initially had doubts about the effectiveness of teledentistry care. “However, after participating in a simulation session, I have come to fully believe in its effectiveness,” he said. “The experience reshaped my perspective on serving communities in need, and I saw how it can significantly benefit rural areas and communities with limited access to oral care providers.”

Rylee Burnett, BSDH ’25, felt the experience “challenged both communication skills and critical thinking, which are crucial traits for any dental provider.”

“The simulation provided an opportunity for self reflection on my current capabilities in these areas,” she explained. “This experience has made me confident that teledentistry is a path worth exploring in my future career. Without this opportunity, I might never have considered it.” 

Huang, Hastings and Stull look forward to continuing to explore teledentistry opportunities in the future as they embrace new modes of technology and introduce learners to new ways of seeing the oral health care world.

“I think we all need to be open-minded to new, innovative practice models that can remove barriers that people experience when seeking oral health care,” reflected Stull. “I hope students leave this experience with an open mind, encouraged to think about innovative ways they can contribute to closing the oral health care gap.”

This story originally appeared in the 2025 edition of Dentistry Magazine.