Saudi Journal of Oral Sciences (Jan 2023)
Using teledentistry as a tool for management of dental services: A systematic review
Abstract
Introduction: Unlike telemedicine, which is relatively well established in the literature and practice, implementation of teledentistry and its limitations are underexplored, and more well-designed research is needed to investigate them. Aim: To evaluate and identify the scopes, challenges, and opportunities for the use of teledentistry based on high-quality literature. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative systematic review with thematic analysis and includes English cross-sectional, prospective, and retrospective studies about the use of teledentistry for the prevention and treatment of dental patients. A quality appraisal methodology was used to evaluate the included studies which were found from online databases, namely, Medline through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane databases. Results and Discussion: Five studies were included and presented with fair-to-good quality of evidence. There is overall agreement about the effectiveness of the use of teledentistry and the great opportunities it provides for the improvement of dental services. Several scopes were identified, including education, consultation, and examination. However, challenges such as technical difficulties and accuracy of examination of certain conditions were also identified. It is advised to integrate the topic of teledentistry in dental school and health-care management courses. Conclusion: Teledentistry is not a substitute for the establishment of a dental home but a complementary aspect of dental service management. In addition, better-quality, well-designed comparative studies, especially those related to scopes, economic aspects, telecommunication means, legislation, licensing, and official dental reporting are needed.
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