Telemedicine in dental practice

Abstract

Modern life is determined and, consequently, marked by applications of technology. That is how information technology has found its place in the health care system. Following the needs of all health workers, and with the aim to improve the field of work we encounter the great progress when it comes to application of the Internet and e-education in medicine and dentistry, as well as in the field of health (medical) and dental informatics. The result of these changes is a new approach to health care that is easier, faster and more efficient, and it is called telemedicine. The World Health Organization has defined this activity as 'a way of using telecommunications and information technologies to provide medical services regardless of where health care provider, patient, medical information or equipment is geographically situated'. Telemedicine, applied in dental practice, is called teledentistry. Dentistry, as a branch of medical science, has always required a continuous and constant pursuit of scientific achievements and technological progress. One of the recent results is the appearance and application of teledentistry in everyday dental practice.