Teledentistry – All in favor? Opposed?
Wednesday, September 25
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM (CT)
Teledentistry, among other virtual health innovations, continues to grow into a widely utilized resource for individuals across the nation. While many dentists and patients alike value teledentistry as a way of expanding accessible, affordable, and convenient oral health care, many are averse to it with concerns about quality of care and ethics. Though in-person, hands-on dental care will never be replaced, this technological advancement will continue to impact the dental industry as a whole, providing valuable services like dental referrals, advice, and treatment planning, as well as dental treatment monitoring.
This panel session will feature the voices of industry experts who have felt both positive and negative impacts, including dentists, dental benefits providers, carriers, and more.
An overview of topics explored by the expert panel will include:
- Current state of teledentistry – brief history, who it helps, where it’s accepted, how it’s recognized per the American Dental Association and certain state regulations that enforce bans
- The scope of teledentistry in the dental industry
- Perceptions about teledentistry (those in favor & those opposed)
- The future of teledentistry
Leesa Olson (moderator)
Assistant Vice President of Launch Loyalty
With over 21 years in healthcare, Leesa Olson’s expertise lies at the intersection of strategic innovation and market evolution. As the Assistant Vice President of Launch Loyalty, she brings a unique blend of vision, strategic foresight, and deep market knowledge.
Leesa’s foundational years at Careington were pivotal in shaping her expertise. She expertly built PPO and discount networks, laying the groundwork for a profound understanding of the mechanics behind successful membership solutions. Her experience at Careington provided her with invaluable insights into the broader healthcare landscape, which have become the cornerstone of her strategic leadership at Launch Loyalty.
In her leadership role, Leesa is committed to pioneering a future of cutting-edge healthcare solutions. Her approach is rooted in leveraging emerging technologies and insights to stay ahead of industry trends, ensuring that our services are responsive to current market needs and trailblazing in scope.
Jeremy Hedrick
Chief Operating Officer of Careington
Jeremy Hedrick serves as Chief Operating Officer for Careington International Corporation and its affiliate companies, including Careington Benefit Solutions, DialCare, and Munroe Sutton. Since 2001, Jeremy has contributed to the development, strategic growth, and overall direction of the Careington companies. During his tenure, he has held senior leadership roles within DialCare, including network development, customer support, compliance, fulfillment, product development, and claims. As COO, Jeremy directs and manages the daily business operations across the Careington companies and brands while maintaining the overall leadership, growth, and initiatives of DialCare, Careington’s telehealth affiliate company.
Anirudha (Ani) Pande
VP, Clinical Operations at UnitedHealthcare Dental
Anirudha (Ani) Pande is a forward-thinking leader with proven success driving business strategy and operations delivery using people, enterprise technology, and process alignment. He currently serves as the Vice President for clinical operations and practice lead for the Medicaid line of business at UnitedHealthcare Dental. In his current role, Ani collaborates with health plans, business development, and functional teams to deliver differentiated capabilities and solutions that enable better member engagement, network relationships, value-based partnerships, and health outcomes. He is committed to supporting people on their healthcare journey by leveraging data, analytics, and technology capabilities to help make care more equitable and effective.
Dr. Vilas Sastry
Chief Executive Officer of Teledentistry.com
Dr. Vilas Sastry has been in the dental industry for over 20 years. A serial entrepreneur, he has founded several companies. From 2006-2021, as Chief Executive Officer of Aces Dental, he led a team of dentists to provide real-world dental services in the Las Vegas area. Concurrently, from 2007-2016, as CEO of Health Networks of America, he grew a dental insurance brokerage firm from scratch to a multi-million-dollar operation supporting over 3000 dental offices nationwide. Having gained industry insight from both the dental practitioner’s perspective and that of the insurance companies he worked with, the foundation for Teledentistry.com was born. Today, as CEO of Teledentistry.com, he leads a team that provides a service model that bridges the entire dental ecosystem, encompassing evolving patient demands, dental care, technology, and insurance. By partnering with dozens of insurance carriers, Teledentistry.com provides quick access to a virtual dentist to over 140 million covered members across the USA.
< back to schedule