TEATL grant introduces learners to teledentistry care

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

Boyen Huang, DDS, MHA, PhD, associate 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 training, but we weren’t providing our students with real-world exposure.” 

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, 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 has developed over the years, Huang and his collaborators have 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. 

This year, the team first trained learners on the concept of teledentistry before setting up a rural clinical environment, where a standardized patient was seen by a dental hygienist or dental therapist who collected assessment data, including simulated intraoral images. That clinic would then provide information to a team of DDS students based at the main clinic, who would evaluate and provide a treatment plan for the patient based on the assessment data.

“We are currently in our third iteration, and every year we implement the lessons learned from the previous year to improve the experience for our students,” explained Stull. As they move into future versions of the simulation, 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.

“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 have participated in the simulation have 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,” sle 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 and Stull look forward to continuing to modify the program 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.”