title: The digital transformation of oral health care. Teledentistry and electronic commerce.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health care is being changed dramatically by the marriage of computers and telecommunications. Implications for hospitals and physicians already have received extensive media attention, but comparatively little has been said about the impact of information technology on dentistry. This article illustrates how the digital transformation will likely affect dentists and their patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on recent experiences of hospitals and medical practices, dentists can expect to encounter revolutionary changes as a result of the digital transformation. The Internet, the World Wide Web and other developments of the information revolution will redefine patient care, referral relationships, practice management, quality, professional organizations and competition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To respond proactively to the digital transformation of oral health care, dentists must become familiar with its technologies and concepts. They must learn what new information technology can do for them and their patients and then develop creative applications that promote the profession and their approaches to care.
authors.affiliation: Superior Consultant Company Inc., Southfield, Mich., USA. Jeff_Bauer@superiorconsultant.com
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D016494:Computer Security; D003199:Computer Systems / Q000191:economics; D003729:Dental Care / Q000639:trends*; D003792:Dental Records; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D017216:Telemedicine; D014584:User-Computer Interface