Why DSOs Should Partner with Dentistry.One to Provide After-Hours Emergency Services

Dental emergencies do not adhere to regular office hours. When patients experience severe toothaches, infections, or dental trauma late at night or on weekends, they often turn to hospital emergency rooms (ERs) for relief.

However, hospital ERs are not equipped to provide adequate dental care, leading to inefficiencies in treatment and increased healthcare costs. This gap in care highlights the necessity for Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) to explore innovative solutions like Dentistry.One a virtual-first dental care platform introduced by MouthWatch, LLC.

The Scope of the Problem: Dental Emergencies in ERs

The overuse of hospital emergency departments for non-traumatic dental conditions is a growing concern. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), over 2.1 million emergency department visits annually are related to non-traumatic dental issues. Studies have shown that more than 80% of these visits result in pain management and antibiotics, but not in actual dental treatment, as ERs lack dental professionals and necessary equipment for definitive care.

Moreover, ER visits for dental emergencies place a financial burden on both patients and healthcare systems. The average cost of an ER visit for dental pain exceeds $749, while most dental emergencies could be addressed in a dental office or virtual consultation at a significantly lower cost. This inefficiency makes it clear why DSOs should consider an alternative approach.

How Dentistry.One Provides an Effective Solution for After Hours Emergencies

Arrow Dental is an Oregon-based dental care organization, which offers comprehensive dental services including routine dental care, restorative therapy, and specialty services to Medicaid and private insurance members across Oregon through nine offices and a fully-equipped mobile clinic.

By partnering with Dentistry.One, Arrow Dental now has the ability to provide effective after-hours emergency care, thus reducing unnecessary ER visits to local hospitals and improving patient outcomes.

This partnership can serve as a blueprint for how DSOs can better manage after-hours emergency cases. By leveraging a virtual-first model, Dentistry.One provides patients with direct access to licensed dental professionals who can immediately assess their conditions, prescribe necessary medications, and coordinate in-office follow-up care when needed.

Here’s how the Dentistry.One three-step process works:

1. Immediate Access: Arrow Dental patients experiencing dental pain are directed to Dentistry.One’s landing page, where they can choose between a live video consultation or an asynchronous photo review.
2. Expert Triage & Treatment: A licensed dentists in Dentistry.One’s provider network assesses the patient’s condition, providing professional advice, prescriptions, and recommendations.
3. Care Coordination: If further treatment is necessary, Dentistry.One’s Care Advisors assist in scheduling in-person visits at the nearest Arrow Dental location.

The Key Benefits of DSOs Partnering with Dentistry.One

Reducing Unnecessary ER Visits
By providing virtual emergency consultations, DSOs can divert non-traumatic dental cases away from overcrowded emergency rooms. This helps patients receive targeted dental care while reducing the financial burden on healthcare systems.

Enhancing Patient Experience & Satisfaction
Patients seeking after-hours care often feel frustrated when they cannot access a dentist promptly. Virtual consultations enable them to connect with a provider in real-time, easing anxiety and offering immediate relief through guidance or prescriptions.

Supporting Clinical Staff & Reducing Burnout
Dental emergencies can lead to increased workloads for in-office staff during business hours. Knowing that after-hours concerns are being addressed virtually helps to alleviate stress on dental teams, ensuring they can focus on scheduled patients without the added pressure of managing emergency walk-ins.

Cost-Effective Solution for Patients & Providers
Virtual consultations provide a more affordable alternative to emergency department visits. Instead of incurring high ER costs, patients can receive professional dental guidance and care coordination at a fraction of the price, making care more accessible and financially sustainable.

Streamlined Care Coordination & Patient Retention
One not only handles emergency consultations but also ensures that patients requiring in-office treatment are scheduled promptly at the closest DSO-affiliated location. This seamless process enhances patient retention and reinforces trust in the DSO network.

The Future of Emergency Dental Care: Virtual-First Models

The success of the Arrow Dental / Dentistry.One partnership underscores the potential for DSOs to take the lead in implementing virtual-first dental solutions to transform emergency care delivery.

According to Aimee Wynn, Director of Operations at Arrow Dental, “Our partnership with Dentistry.One, is improving dental care accessibility for Oregon Medicaid patients and others we serve, especially when it comes to dental emergencies. Dentistry.One serves as our virtual after-hours urgent care service, helping to reduce unnecessary visits to hospital emergency rooms for dental concerns. Furthermore, we can help support our staff by knowing that patients are able to talk to a dentist, no matter the day or time.”

As more DSOs recognize the financial, operational and patient satisfaction advantages of virtual urgent care consultations, adoption rates are expected to rise. Here are the three key trends that support the growth of virtual-first emergency dental care:

1. Increasing demand for telehealth services: With telehealth adoption surging post-pandemic, patients now expect remote access to healthcare services, including dentistry.
2. Rising ER costs and inefficiencies: As ER costs continue to escalate, DSOs can offer a practical and cost-effective alternative through virtual care.
3. Regulatory support for telehealth expansion: Many states are implementing policies that encourage telehealth integration, further facilitating DSO partnerships with virtual providers like Dentistry.One.

For DSOs looking to enhance their after-hours emergency care, Dentistry.One presents an effective solution.

With the continued expansion of virtual-first healthcare, DSOs that embrace telehealth solutions such as Dentistry.One will be well-positioned to lead the future of dental care accessibility and efficiency. To learn more about how Dentistry.One can enhance your DSO’s after hours and emergency care strategy, contact Jamie Collins, RDH-EA at jcollins@MouthWatch.com or visit www.dentistry.one.

About the Author:

Eden Ivie, BSDH, RDH, PHDHP, has been practicing clinical dental hygiene since graduating from San Juan College in 2004. She earned her BSDH from Northern Arizona University in 2018. She uses her PHDHP license to provide preventive care for children in public health settings using teledentistry technologies. Ivie joined MouthWatch, in 2017 as a teledentistry specialist where she provides training and implementation guidance for a range of virtual dental care models. She is currently the director of client success for MouthWatch and its virtual first dental care subsidiary Dentistry.One.