If you haven’t seen to a dentist in a while, maybe you forgot. But seriously, seeing the dentist is important for many reasons and has now been proven to be directly connected to Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists know that dental plaque is corelated to multiple systemic issues, such as cardiovascular disease. According to Science Alert, more studies are being done on Alzheimer’s relation to poor oral health. The article states, “one of the most definitive leads yet for a bacterial culprit behind Alzheimer's, and it comes from a somewhat unexpected quarter: gum disease.” In these studies, victims of the disease had the same bacteria of periodontal disease in their brain as well as in their mouth. Furthermore, “even more compellingly, the team identified these toxic gingipains in the brains of deceased people who were never diagnosed with Alzheimer's” which leads the team to believe they would inevitably have been diagnosed if they had lived longer. Did you know there are 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and nearly 14 million will have the disease by 2050? That’s one person being diagnosed every 65 seconds. For more information, read the full articles by clicking on the links below. Or visit your dentist today and find out your risk of gum disease. Stay healthy by brushing and flossing daily, since prevention is the only method to stop these bacteria. By Leah Sigler, RDHDirector of OperationsThe TeleDentists 1 | https://www.sciencealert.com/new-evidence-reveals-an-unexpected-culprit-behind-alzheimer-s-disease 2 | https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/06/05/june-is-alzheimers-and-brain-awareness-month/

Kansas City, MO – June 7, 2019 – As it continues to experience market growth, , the first-to-market virtual care solution transforming the way people treat urgent oral and dental problems, announces the expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Howard Reis as CEO. Reis brings considerable expertise from his work at the intersection of healthcare and telecommunications. “We’re pleased to welcome Howard, a recognized forerunner in the field of telemedicine, starting with his work as a project manager at Nynex Science and Technology in the early 1990s, managing early telemedicine trials with four Boston teaching hospitals,” says Maria Kunstadter, DDS, co-founder, The TeleDentists. “[The TeleDentists] are available anywhere people with urgent dental needs live, work and go for help when a dental problem emerges. Under Reis’ leadership I’m confident The TeleDentists will continue to leverage its already impressive market traction as we align with urgent care centers and health systems serving senior living centers, colleges and universities.” Reis has helped two separate teleradiology companies achieve Inc. 5000 status of fastest growing private companies.  While working in a Professional Services capacity for several consulting firms, such as Accenture, The Castleton Group, Telmarc and SAIC/Bellcore, he played a key role in enabling several major healthcare institutions achieve new strategic initiatives. The Teledentists’ unique teledentistry platform uses advanced telehealth technology, provides immediate access and assessment from a quality dentist who can prescribe non-opioid pain relief or antibiotic prescriptions as needed and a next day appointment with a dentist near the patient.  Reis says, “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such an impressive company forward, not only because this tele-dentistry service meets the needs of millions of people each year who need immediate care for urgent dental issues, but also because it’s the first of its kind and relies upon a proprietary, national network of Board Licensed dentists.” About The TeleDentistsThe TeleDentists is pioneering tele-dentistry with an easily accessible solution to urgent oral and dental problems 24/7/365. A proprietary, national network of Board Licensed dentists use secure online video consults to connect with patients’ smart phones, laptops or tablets. They diagnose problems, start remediation and, when needed, arrange next business day appointments with a conveniently located dentist. The service is available to hospitals, urgent care facilities, retail clinics, self-insured corporations, senior-living centers, universities and telemedicine service providers. Furthermore, starting June 17, The TeleDentists will be offering direct-to-consumer consults. Visit www.theteledentists.com​

By Eric Wicklund May 13, 2019 - Dentists are starting to take a closer look at how telehealth and mHealth can improve their care delivery.The possibilities are numerous. Some dentists are using mHealth apps to enable patients – regular and new – to ask questions about oral care, make appointments or schedule emergency visits. Some are using mHealth devices like VR glasses to sooth their jittery patients during cleanings and other routine work.Others are using telemedicine to facilitate virtual visits, and are targeting the roughly $2 billion spent each year on emergency oral care at hospitals and clinics.“We’re the next telehealth specialist,” says Maria Kunstadter, DDS, co-founder of The TeleDentists, who was exhibiting at last month’s American Telemedicine Association conference in New Orleans. “I don’t know anyone (who’s in need of emergency care) who wants to wait six weeks for an appointment with their dentist.”Telehealth companies like The TeleDentists are targeting a pain point – quite literally – in healthcare: negative health outcomes caused by a lack of dental care, often due to the fear of the needle and the drill.“More than seven million people each year need immediate access to help for urgent dental issues,” Kunstadter said in a press release earlier this year. “It’s no wonder, given the fact that tens of millions of people each year neglect maintenance on their mouth and teeth. In fact, the average person in this country – regardless of age or economic profile – has not been to a dentist in three years, making it inevitable that these problems occur.”The telemedicine model for emergency care is simple. Health systems, payers and self-employed businesses partner with a telehealth company to provide on-demand access to dentists. That access is through a virtual visit, with dentists offering care or guiding on-site medical assistants, prescribing medications and scheduling follow-up care.Kunstadter says the connected care platform doesn’t take the place of the local dentist, but facilities emergency care and coordinates the follow-up trip the dentist. It can be especially helpful for those who lack access to a dentist, such as college students, truckers and businessmen.“The best thing we do is put people in dentist’s offices,” she says.The teledentistry industry has been growing fitfully, and is just now appearing on the radar of larger telemedicine and telehealth providers like Philips, which is reportedly developing an mHealth platform for teledentistry in Europe. Others have been testing the platform as a means of pushing oral health video visits into underserved areas like low-income neighborhoods, community health centers and Native American communities.Also advocating for the industry is the American Teledentistry Association, which sprang into being roughly one year ago.“Teledentistry is really in its infancy,” Marc Ackerman, DMD, MBA, FACD, the group’s founder and Director of Orthodontics at Boston Children’s Hospital, told mHealthIntelligence.com last year. Like other medical specialties, hesays, it needs an advocacy group to guide practitioners, develop best practices and ensure the technology is available for those who want to use it.“The immediate goal of the ATDA is to educate dental professionals and the public about the benefits of teledentistry,” Ackerman said. “Teledentistry has the ability to help patients get access to needed dental care they deserve, both affordably and conveniently. It's our mission to modernize access to care through teledentistry with advocacy for the implementation of innovative teledentistry guidelines and solutions.”In the meanwhile, dental practices across the country are experimenting on their own.In Hopkinton, MA, Hopkinton Square Dental is using virtual reality glasses designed by XRHealth to calm nervous patients during routine procedures. The VR glasses replace regular sunglasses worn by patients to protect their eyes.“It really helps patients disengage – especially the children,” says Cherry Harika, DMD. “They feel like they’re in their own world, and they’re able to relax.”The two-office dental practice has been using VR glasses for only a couple months, but they’re getting rave reviews from patients – and they’re using the glasses as a marketing tool, in hopes of coaxing more people to overcome their fear and visit the office.Harika says the mHealth devices aren’t cumbersome, so she and her colleagues can work without being hindered. And they allow her to focus more on her work and less on trying to keep the patient calm and still.“Sometimes I have to tell them to stop moving their necks,” she says, “but that’s about it.”

St. Louis, MO – April, 2019 –  Thanks to a growing number of industry partnerships, employer relationships and reseller agreements, TeleDentists’ unique teledentistry solution is now available to provide consultations for non-traumatic urgent dental care at any time and from anywhere.-- representing a full spectrum of healthcare delivery in multiple settings  from hospitals and urgent care centers to colleges, universities, company clinics and senior living centers. The solution includes immediate access to a quality dentist who can access the problem, prescribe prescriptions as needed, and schedule a next day in-person appointment with a nearby dentist. “We are rapidly expanding our corporate footprint, bringing to market a low-cost telehealth service provided by a quality dentist to deal with urgent dental issues – like a tooth ache, mouth sores or pain,” says Maria Kunstadter, DDS, co-founder, The TeleDentists. “These partnerships increase our reach, helping people to access care, whether it’s in the middle of the night, a long holiday weekend or while traveling. The size and scope of these partnerships speaks to the need for this first-of-its-kind service, since more than visit the nation’s emergency rooms with dental pain each year.” Recent partnerships include: Competitive Health – A privately-held network and program enhancement company providing technology-based, consumer-driven programs and payment solutions to clients throughout the United States. Kim Darling, says, “Persistent, painful toothaches are surprisingly common, and we look forward to introducing the TeleDentist solution to our clients who always place high value on innovative, healthcare solutions.” Continental Trucking Association Inc. – A membership organization providing a wide range of benefits for owner-operators and fleets including low cost group rated trucking insurance, low cost occupational accident insurance, nationwide lodging, wireless phones and auto-rental discounts and much more. Craig Jensen, CEO, . says, “The Teledentists service is a valuable asset to any driver, away from home, who has an urgent dental problem.” DCCS Consulting – A national healthcare consulting firm providing financial, operational, clinical,  strategic advisory services and helping to implement telemedicine services in behavioral health, emergency and hospitalist medicine and The TeleDentists. OCN Connected Care™ –  with the intention of partnering for Urgent Care patients HealthSapiens – A telehealth company whose vision is the democratization of healthcare, creating freedom for patients to choose their care despite boundaries. HealthSapiens is committed to the ideals of health and wellness for all, through global collaboration and the progression of humankind – one patient at a time. “We are thrilled to develop our relationship with The TeleDentists to market and bundle our services to cater to the underserved market, ‘‘says Karim Babay, CEO, . Independent Dental Collaborative (IDC)  Created on behalf of independent dentists to leverage the members’ collective buying power to drive down the cost of supplies, capital equipment, and much more. This allows private practicing dentists to stay independent and receive all the same benefits of corporate dental groups and DSOs “We are excited to partner with the Teledentists to bring an innovative opportunity to our members”, said Jordan Herbert, , COO and co-founder. “Our partnership will allow our members to have a larger role in the health of the populations they serve as well as drive new patients to their practice.”   ModRn Healthcare  – ModRn provides nurse-led coordinated care, personalized advocacy and network optimization services empowering patients to take action wherever they are. About The TeleDentistsThe TeleDentists is pioneering tele-dentistry with an easily accessible solution to urgent oral and dental problems 24/7/365. A proprietary, national network of Board Licensed dentists use secure online video consults to connect with patients’ smart phones, laptops or tablets. They diagnose problems, start remediation and, when needed, arrange next business day appointments with a conveniently located dentist. The service is available to hospitals, urgent care facilities, retail clinics, self-insured corporations, senior-living centers, universities and telemedicine service providers. Visit www.theteledentists.com​

New business, partnerships and opportunities abound at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) annual meeting, New Orleans.​