Dentist blog from Delta Dental
Back in August, free trials and discounts on HIPAA-compliant teledentistry tools were made available to dentists for a limited time. Fortunately, the discounts and free trial periods on teledentistry tools have been extended through December 31.
With coronavirus cases on the rise and patients getting more used to virtual appointments, it’s a great time to find teledentistry solutions that work for you, your staff and your practice.
Meet Dr. Francisca Mojica, DDS, our Dental Health Partner of the Month. Dr. Mojica is a San Jose, California–based dentist whose interest in dentistry as a child has become a lifelong passion.
The founder of the La Amistad Dental office, Dr. Mojica has been practicing dentistry for more than three decades. Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Mojica an active member in the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Santa Clara County Dental Society.
I first became interested in becoming a dentist when I was in elementary school. My older sister at that time was attending a university for dentistry, and I would look at her notes and challenge myself to memorize the information. When I was in middle school, I would help my sister at her dental office by setting up the rooms for the patients and helping them put on their bibs. I would see patients come into the office with pain, and I knew that this career would be for me, because I wanted to help them feel better. This motivated me to go university and become a professional dentist so that I can help my community and put a smile on my patients’ face.
I’ve been practicing dentistry for 34 years.
The most rewarding part of my career is when I’m able to give my patients their smile back and they leave happy.
One day I was doing a crown preparation for my patient. I asked him to close his mouth for about five minutes so that the material for the impression I had placed in his mouth could dry up, so he did as I asked. The next step was to make his temporary crown. For this step he needed to keep his mouth open so that the acrylic could dry, but to my surprise the patient thought that he needed to close his mouth and as he did that, he bit down on my finger. I told him to open, but he got confused and didn’t hear me, so he kept on biting down on my finger — ouch! Once he opened his mouth, I went to the sink and ran some cold water on it to help with the pain.
One of the biggest challenges is for my patients to overcome the fear that they have in coming to the dentist.
In my free time I enjoy cooking and gardening.
I am most proud of the culture of my ancestors, such as the painting, architecture and traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
We’d like to take a moment to congratulate Dr. Mojica and thank her for the work she does for her community. To find out more about Dr. Mojica, visit the La Amistad Dental Office website.
To help you continue to provide care to your Delta Dental patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’re extending the Return to Care supplemental reimbursement program through December 31, 2020.
As a network dentist, you’ll receive a $10 supplemental reimbursement for performing qualifying evaluation or consultation codes. The program launched June 22 and was later extended to October 20.
The latest extension to December 31 is meant to offer you additional support and help you adjust to the new conditions as you prepare for 2021. There are no other changes to the program that is currently in place.
For more details on the supplemental reimbursement program, please see the complete FAQ.
As before, to receive the reimbursement, you must participate in one of the following networks and treat an eligible patient covered by one of these Delta Dental plans:
Applicable Delta Dental companies include Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of the District of Columbia, Delta Dental of Delaware, Inc., Delta Dental of West Virginia, Inc. and Delta Dental of New York, Inc.
The Medi-Cal Dental, CDPHP (NY Medicaid) and HSCSN (Washington, D.C. Medicaid) networks are not eligible for this reimbursement.
With open enrollment just around the corner, you may see a wave of new patients, especially if you’ve joined a new dental network. But potential patients can’t come to your office for care if they don’t know that you exist. That’s where the Find a Dentist search tool comes in!
Making sure your information is up to date is easy. If you find any incorrect details you can update them in Provider Tools. Updating your listing is also simple: just fill out this form and return it to us by email or by fax.
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Even if your office location hasn’t changed, you may want to update details such as hours, languages spoken by the staff and more. Make sure your information is accurate and updated so patients have an easy time finding you and choosing you for their oral care.
P.S. Don’t forget to keep your practice’s information up to date on other websites, too. Here are some links to instructions on how to do just that on some of the most popular services patients might use to find you.
Delivering dental care during a pandemic is tough, due to social distancing and equipment requirements, but you can maintain safe contact with your patients through teledentistry. In fact, you can plan your interactions so they are valuable for your patients and effective in your treatment.
Here are tips for conducting a successful consultation:
Give yourself time to prepare for the online/phone visit, to review patient records and x-rays. Set aside enough time for your session to discuss issues, conduct an exam, and explain follow-up care.
Have your patient fill out forms (intake, patient consent) ahead of the visit. Note any problems or issues the patient has reported so you can focus your assessment.
Make sure your videoconferencing software is set up, with a web camera, and use a headset to keep your hands free for making notes or to demonstrate procedures. You can have images loaded for viewing with the patient. Ensure that your patient has the necessary internet connection for the visit.
Make sure your background is quiet, so there are no distractions during the visit. You can position a source of light in front of your camera, and inform your patient to face natural light or a light source so you can view each other clearly.
During the visit, when you are evaluating bite and oral health, give your patient instructions on what to do to facilitate your assessment.
You can direct the patient to position a metal or plastic spoon for retraction, use a mirror (compact or handheld dental mirror) for showing back of the teeth and posterior areas, and handle a flashlight or phone light for illumination. Your patient can use a wooden chopstick for bite testing and frozen wet cotton swabs for cold testing.
With preparation and a thorough approach, you can make a teledentistry visit fit into your seamless care delivery for patients when they are unable to make an in-person visit. It can be integrated into your practice, such as for postoperative exams, to keep your office chairs open for productive in-person visits.
Running a dental practice means complying with a host of state and federal laws and regulations. As part of our contractual and regulatory requirements (both state and federal), we are obligated to make sure our dentists are either credentialed or re-credentialed at least once every three years.
We will send you a letter and form when your re-credentialing date is near. When you receive your re-credentialing letter and form from us, please:
We are obligated to terminate your contract as a network dentist if your credential expires. You will still be able to apply to re-join under the terms of the current dentist agreement, as long as you meet the credentialing criteria.
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
