Using teledentistry as a tool for management of dental services: A systematic review

Abstract

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. Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and identify the scopes, challenges, and opportunities for the use of teledentistry based on high-quality literature. Materials and Methods: As a qualitative systematic review with thematic analysis, the present study included 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, from 2017 to 2022. Results and Discussion: Five studies were included and presented with fair-to-good quality of evidence. Furthermore, there was 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 and was advised to integrate the topic of teledentistry in dental school and health-care management courses. Conclusion: Teledentistry was found not to be 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.