AAO Provides Revised Clinical Practice Guidelines to State Dental Boards

At the 2021 AAO Virtual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting, the HOD approved revisions to the AAO’s Clinical Practice Guidelines. Among other changes, the revisions included two important messages: (1) orthodontic treatment involving the use of teledentistry should include certain protections for patients; and (2) the guidelines apply to anyone providing orthodontic treatment (not just to orthodontists).

Regarding orthodontic treatment utilizing teledentistry, the revisions to the Clinical Practice Guidelines now state:

“Prior to the initiation of orthodontic or dentofacial orthopedic treatment, in order to enhance the health and safety of the patient, an in-person comprehensive dental and orofacial examination should occur by a state-licensed dentist. That dentist shall be currently practicing, and have a dental license in good standing, in the same state in which the comprehensive dental exam takes place. That dentist shall be searchable in the same state-run database and be able to be contacted by the patient.“

The revised Clinical Practice Guidelines also underscore that anyone who provides orthodontic treatment should comply with them, now making clear that they “encompass all licensed dental practitioners providing orthodontic care.”

The AAO Legal and Advocacy Department recently sent a copy of the revised Clinical Practice Guidelines to the dental boards of all 50 states, in order to reinforce these messages in the effort to better protect patient health and safety. The revised Guidelines were accompanied by a cover letter to the dental boards (a copy of which can be viewed here), highlighting these revisions and the purposes for the changes.

The AAO will continue to advocate for state dental boards to pass regulations that protect patient health and safety by requiring minimum standards for orthodontic treatment utilizing teledentistry, and emphasizing the message that all orthodontic treatment should be conducted under the same standards of care whether provided by an orthodontist or another dental practitioner.