88% of dental patients in UAE & KSA are willing to adopt tele-dentistry. According to a new survey commissioned by Align Technology, a global medical device company and the innovators of the Invisalign system, nearly 88 percent of residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia (KSA) value the benefits of digital communication and tele-dentistry more now than they did prior to COVID-19. The survey results on patient responses to the pandemic were released today as part of a larger whitepaper study showing the conclusions of an expert-led advisory council, after a review of trends and problems in the dentistry industry.
According to the YouGov poll, 78 percent of respondents said they will continue to communicate with their dentists online for non-emergency cases in the future. While only one-third of respondents (32%) used digital communication tools to communicate with their dentists during the COVID-19 lockout, the vast majority (78%) of those who did indicated they found them useful.
According to the findings, there is an almost even split in opinion on the safety of visiting a dentist during the pandemic: Between March and June 2020, 44 percent of respondents saw a dentist, compared to 42 percent who skipped appointments owing to worries about potential dangers.
Despite this, consumer confidence in dentists remained high, with 80 percent believing that their dentist/dental office was taking the appropriate procedures to protect patients during the epidemic.
Early prevention efforts that reduced dentist visits, according to the report, appear to have had a favourable impact on knowledge of the relevance of lifestyle practises in maintaining excellent oral health. 75 percent of respondents stated they would be willing to take preventive measures including drinking water instead of sugary drinks, cleaning their teeth twice daily, and changing their toothbrush on a regular basis to keep their dental health in check.
To further investigate the sector’s major takeaways from the crisis, Align Technology formed an Advisory Council, which brought together prominent orthodontists from throughout the region to start a conversation about the pandemic’s impact. The Council’s major duty was to analyse on-the-ground difficulties resulting from the epidemic and to investigate actions that may be made to enable practitioners to be future-ready in line with today’s digitally-focused consumers’ ambitions, as well as in the “new normal.”
The participating experts discussed four key themes during a series of interviews and virtual roundtable sessions: the importance of flexibility and adaptability, the role of teledentistry and digital workflow, business continuity planning, and delivering quality dental care and improving patient confidence.
In comparison to others who had yet to embrace digitisation, practitioners who deployed virtual platforms were far more likely to be able to sustain business continuity during the pandemic, according to the Council.
The key takeaways and recommendations from the Advisory Council included:
Angelo Maura, General Manager, Middle East and Africa of Align Technology, said: “Long before the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed how we work and live, we understood the potential of information technology and digital tools to transform the dental sector. Commissioning this research and establishing the Advisory Council committee of local experts highlights our collective commitment to better understand how we can integrate a seamless blend of digital technology into our practices to make processes more efficient and convenient for doctors and patients alike. We firmly believe that nothing replaces the personal touch of a medical or dental professional. Nevertheless, we want to help dental health practitioners to understand how they can leverage the power of digitisation to transform their practices, whilst continuing to deliver exceptional care for patients in this rapidly-changing landscape.”
Align Technology will present the findings of its whitepaper, titled ‘Digitisation and Patient Care: Mapping New Opportunities in the Dental Sector,’ today at the 2nd Digital Health MENA Forum, a high-profile event that brings together senior stakeholders and thought leaders in the healthcare ecosystem from both the public and private sectors.
During the conference, Align Technology will deliver the study’s findings in a presentation titled “Telehealth virtual visits: Improving experiences, efficiency, and outcome,” as well as conduct a discussion on telehealth and telemedicine.
Dr. Suliman Shahin (KSA), Vice Dean for Studies, Development & Community Service, College of Dentistry, Member of the Saudi Orthodontic Society’s Board of Directors; Dr. Mubarak Alsaeed (Kuwait), Chairman and CEO at UltraMed; Dr. Osama Basri (KSA), Craniofacial Orthodontist, Member of the Saudi Orthodontic Society’s Board of Directors; and Dr. Al Bawardi, an Orthodontist.
Dr. Reem Alansari, Saudi Orthodontic Society (SOS) Board of Directors, Consultant/Assistant Professor of Orthodontics, Establishing Director of the Dental Sleep Medicine Unit, Head of the Alumni Unit, King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry (KAUFD) also attended the session, which was moderated by Tzvetan Deyanov, Business Owner (Dental Tribune MEA & CAPP MEA and Asia), and attended by Angelo Maur.
