Teledentistry Post-COVID – Will the Demand Continue?

Teledentistry Post-COVID – Will the Demand Continue?

Tuesday, October 5
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (CT)

 

The demand for teledentistry has drastically increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many dental practices were forced to close early in the pandemic, which left individuals without access to much-needed care. Many were left with few options other than visiting the emergence room for dental emergencies, resulting in costly bills and potential exposure to COVID-19. A large number of these individuals turned to teledentistry for their dental needs, providing them the opportunity to virtually connect with licensed dentists nationwide for dental care, treatment advice and expert second opinions from the safety and comfort of their homes. As COVID-related protocols evolve and social distancing restrictions continue to lift across the nation, it remains unclear what the teledentistry industry will look like post-pandemic and if the strong demand for teledentistry will continue into the future. This session will feature an expert panel who will examine industry trends and will do a deep dive into the full-circle future of teledentistry from the standpoints of the dentist, patient, payor, health plan, dental support organization and more. Additional topics explored by the expert panel will include:  

 

  • Teledentistry as a hybrid approach to dental care, providing virtual advice and diagnoses at times outside of dentists’ operating hours or for fewer in-person appointments, saving consumers time 
  • The advantages of using teledentistry for second opinions on recommended dental treatment, helping consumers to save money by avoiding unnecessary procedures 
  • The importance of teledentistry for individuals who live in rural areas who otherwise must travel long distances to visit a dental office to receive care 
  • Teledentistry as an employer-sponsored benefit, allowing employees to spend less time out of the office for in-person dental appointments  

 

MaryLee_500w.jpgMary Lee Conicella, DMD, FAGD
Chief Dental Officer, Aetna

Dr. Mary Lee Conicella is Aetna’s Chief Dental Officer and oversees dental clinical initiatives, policies and claim review.  She is a member of Aetna’s Medical Affairs Team and serves on the Virtual-First and Health Equity Committees.  She has published numerous articles related to the impact dental care has on holistic health and was instrumental in creating Aetna’s Rush to Brush Initiative to reduce hospital-acquired pneumonia, and Aetna's groundbreaking Dental-Medical Integration program.  Dr. Conicella received her DMD from Temple University School of Dentistry and achieved Fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry during her time in private practice.  She spent many years on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and currently sits on the NYU College of Dentistry Dean’s Strategic Advisory Council. Mary Lee has been a volunteer with NADP since 2006 and she is currently serving her second term as a member of the NADP Board of Directors. 

 






JeremyHedrick_500w.pngJeremy Hedrick (moderator)
SVP, Careington & President, DialCare

Jeremy Hedrick serves as Senior Vice President at Careington International Corporation as well as President of its affiliate telemedicine company, DialCare, which offers teledentistry, telemedicine, and telebehavioral health services nationwide. Jeremy has been a vital component of Careington’s growth for the last 20 years, serving in many critical senior leadership roles throughout the Careington companies. During his tenure, Jeremy has helped lead the strategic growth of Careington’s network development department, customer support call center, compliance, claims administration, operations of Careington’s affiliate nationally licensed TPA, Careington Benefit Solutions as well as operations of Careington’s UK affiliate, Munroe Sutton. In each of these roles, Jeremy has been intimately involved in the workings of these critical segments of the industry and an integral part of the growing discount dental market. Through his leadership at Careington, Jeremy and the Careington team have observed and proactively helped shape the industry from every point of view - customer, provider, regulator, claims payor and international expansion.

Jeremy’s experience and visibility lends credibility to his desire to take on a more proactive role in the dental benefits space as a whole; to allow him to apply his knowledge, experience, passion and vision to help further the advancement of the dental benefits industry; and to expand Careington’s reach in our quest to continue to improve access to affordable dental care.    

Jeremy currently serves as NADP board chair. He has been on the NADP Board of Directors for the last three years, serving on the Executive Committee as treasurer during in 2020. During his time on the Board, Jeremy has served on the audit committee, the budget committee, and the board nomination committee. He also chairs the newly formed Future of Dental Care Access Task Force, which will review the trends of accessing and financing dental care as they may concern the industry and  NADP, dental providers, dental consumers, policymakers, and the public, and recommend changes in the objectives, organization, and operations of the Association as may be indicated by these trends to the Board. In addition to his service on the Board, Jeremy has been an active member of the NADP Operations Workgroup for the last 9 years and an active participant in NADP CONVERGE conferences for the last 18 years.

 




Mike-Davis_500w.jpgMike Davis
President & COO, Dominion National

Mike Davis is a founder of Dominion National and has overall responsibility for the company. Davis has nearly 30 years of experience in dental benefits and had served in various executive positions with MIDA Dental Plans, a successful DHMO in the Mid-Atlantic region, prior to establishing Dominion. Davis has been instrumental in driving the innovation of Dominion’s systems, services and plans since its inception in 1996. Most recently he has led the company’s pursuit into teledentistry to improve outcomes, member satisfaction and experience. Under Davis’ leadership, Dominion has grown to serve over 900,000 members, offer access to over 350,000 national dentist listings and employ a staff of over 200. Dominion’s expansion offering benefits to commercial groups, individuals and health plans resulted in the company’s 2016 re-brand to Dominion National. Davis helped Dominion become one of the first dental benefits providers in its region to introduce interactive, online benefit administration and other groundbreaking models and technologies to improve the client experience. Over the past decade, Dominion also became known for its innovative online dental programs for individuals and associations. Davis participates on several boards, including Dominion National and a regional DSO. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Radford University.





Matthew-Zubiller_400w.jpgMatthew Zubiller
Chief Growth Officer, Smile Brands, Inc.
Matthew is a senior executive officer, strategic visionary, and operational leader focused on driving growth by balancing core operational excellence with a deep commitment to innovation and team building. His experience ranges from starting companies, to growing businesses to scale, and leading mature billion dollar portfolios.




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