The portability of digital records has changed the meaning of distance in dentistry. A patient can have a scan taken at a center in the country where they live and share the file; planning can start before they arrive. However, knowing where this possibility ends is as important as the possibility itself. Remote treatment planning does not replace the examination; it prepares for it. As DijiDent Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic, in Türkiye we carry out this process within realistic limits.
What Can Be Done Remotely?
- Preliminary evaluation: The general condition can be examined based on existing scans, photographs and radiological records.
- Sharing possible scenarios: Which treatments may come into consideration can be discussed.
- Draft timeline: How many visits may be needed and the time between visits can be anticipated.
- Interim check-ups: In some treatments, progress can be monitored with the records sent by the patient.
- Answering your questions: The process, preparation and expectations can be discussed in advance.
What Cannot Be Done Remotely?
Being clear here is necessary to protect the patient. The consistency and bleeding tendency of the gums, pocket depth measurement, tooth mobility, the true depth of caries, tooth vitality tests and precise evaluation of occlusal contacts can only be done with a clinical examination. These findings can directly change the treatment decision. Therefore, definitive treatment plans and price commitments given without an examination are far from realistic.
Aligners Ordered Online
In recent years, models in which the patient takes an impression of their own mouth and sends it, and clear aligners are produced without an examination, have become widespread. The risks of this approach must be stated clearly. Orthodontic force applied when there is untreated gum disease can accelerate bone loss. Caries may be missed. Movements planned without evaluating root structure and bone boundaries can lead to gum recession. Orthodontics is a biological process and requires a dentist’s supervision.
The Quality of the Records You Send Is Decisive
The accuracy of a remote evaluation depends on the quality of the records you share. Blurry or poorly lit photographs, radiological records shared only as screenshots and files without dates limit the evaluation. It is recommended that you take photographs in natural light, with your mouth open and from different angles, and share images as original digital files. The clearer the record, the more meaningful the preliminary evaluation.
The Flow for Out-of-Town and International Patients
The approach we apply at our clinic proceeds as follows. First, you share your existing records: scan file, panoramic film, tomography if available and intraoral photographs. A preliminary evaluation is made based on these records and possible scenarios are discussed with you. When you arrive, a detailed examination, current imaging if necessary and a digital scan are completed on the first day. The plan discussed in the preliminary evaluation is compared with these findings and takes its final form. If the plan changes, it is shared with its rationale; application does not begin without your approval.
Follow-Up After Returning
How follow-up will be carried out after treatment is completed is discussed from the start. Some check-ups can be done remotely; the situations in which you need to see a local dentist are explained to you. Keeping a digital copy of your records with you is especially valuable at this stage.
Remote Evaluation in Emergencies
In situations such as pain, swelling or a fracture, shared photographs can help with initial guidance; they give an idea of how urgent it is and which step should be taken. However, treatment cannot be done remotely. In the case of findings such as swelling spreading across the face, difficulty swallowing or fever, you should go to the nearest healthcare facility without waiting.
The Limit of Remote Follow-Up
Check-ups done via photographs or scans provide information about the position of the teeth. However, gum health, caries development and bite changes cannot be reliably evaluated this way. For this reason, remote follow-up can make clinical check-ups less frequent but does not eliminate them entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practice varies by clinic. It is recommended that you get information on this before the process begins.
You can get a preliminary evaluation; the definitive plan is created after the clinical examination.
Orthodontic treatments carried out without a dentist’s evaluation carry risks. We recommend that you have an evaluation.
It helps at some stages; however, it does not replace periodic clinical examinations.
Your scan file, panoramic film, tomography if available, intraoral and smile photographs and your medical history.
Yes. Files shared in an open format can usually be used.
Let us plan your treatment before you plan your trip.
You can start the preliminary evaluation process by sharing your existing records. Contact us for more information; as DijiDent Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic, let us welcome you in Istanbul with a realistic plan.
This content is for general information purposes. A remote evaluation does not replace a diagnosis; the definitive plan is created after the clinical examination.
