Abstract
The current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced dentists to seek different options for delivering healthcare services other than the in-person direct examination in clinical practice. Teledentistry is one of the options for remote patient care and monitoring. Objective. The present survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and perception of the dentists in Pakistan regarding teledentistry as an emergent supportive tool. Materials and Methods. A self-administered, close-ended, and prevalidated survey questionnaire was used, comprising 21 questions, and distributed electronically via e-mail, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger to evaluate the knowledge and perception of dentists regarding teledentistry. The data collected was compiled in a systematic manner and analyzed in terms of frequency (yes/no). Results. Out of a total of 350 dentists, 325 responded to the questionnaire, and it was seen that 62.5% of them did not have knowledge about teledentistry prior to COVID-19. 65.8% of dentists considered the practice of teledentistry in nonpandemic situations in the future. Conclusion. In the present study, it was observed that most of the dental professionals had inadequate knowledge about teledentistry before COVID-19, but the awareness and perception regarding teledentistry were currently satisfactory among the dental professionals in Pakistan. This emerging trend gives a positive hope for the implementation of teledentistry in the healthcare setup of Pakistan in the near future, as it will prove to be beneficial for safe dental practice during times of pandemic and even after.
Highlights
At the beginning of the year 2020, a pandemic emerged affecting the entire world
The questionnaire was circulated amongst a total of 350 dentists from all the specialties of dentistry in Pakistan, out of which 325 dentists responded and gave their consent to participate in the survey
It was observed that 62.5% of the dentists did not have knowledge about teledentistry prior to COVID-19, but currently, the majority of them know about teledentistry (68.6%)
Summary
The healthcare system has been critically affected with the rise of COVID-19, which has created a global healthcare concern that greatly halted the normal healthy lifestyle of the patients as well as dentists. The dental professionals are at high risk of acquiring infection with COVID-19 [1]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, routine dental treatments have been interrupted, and only critical dental procedures and surgeries are being performed. Along with all other health issues, dental practice is affected, so there is a need of restructuring and introducing new modernized electronic methods of healthcare delivery to pursue dental care with minimal risk of transmission of disease and crossinfection. The primary concern of dentists during the pandemic is the infection control practices and the demand to maintain standard precautions in the care of dental patients, during and even after the period of this pandemic [3]
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