Letters to the Editor

We read with interest the recent Dental Update article ‘Remote Working in Dentistry in a Time of Crisis’ and are in agreement with the authors that in a world that has become heavily reliant upon technology, perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic presents the perfect opportunity for dentistry to adapt and make better use of teledentistry, specifically, the ‘virtual consultation’ concept.¹

In the midst of an extremely challenging time for all dental care professionals, where evolving standard operating procedures are almost outdated as soon as they are published, virtual consultations provide a stable alternative, allowing dentists to initiate a ‘triage first’ model for consultations, in an era where nine-out-of-ten UK adults use the internet every week.^2,3

We wish to share our experience following the rapid implementation of virtual consultations via the unique ‘Attend Anywhere’ service in our Trust, which enables patients to not only see and experience the dental setting prior to coming in for a clinical exam, but also to meet the very team members who will become a core part of their continuing care. We feel that virtual consultations could therefore have a positive impact on anxious patients too, acting as a method of acclimatization and desensitization from the comfort of their own home or office.