Applications of teledentistry: A literature review and update

Abstract

Teledentistry is a combination of telecommunications and dentistry involving the exchange of clinical information and images over remote distances for dental consultation and treatment planning. Teledentistry has the ability to improve access to oral healthcare, improve the delivery of oral healthcare, and lower its costs. It also has the potential to eliminate the disparities in oral health care between rural and urban communities. This article reviews the origin, rationale, scope, basis, and requirements for teledentistry, along with the current evidence that exists in the literature. This article also reviews the ethical and legal issues related to the practice of teledentistry and the future of this alternative and innovative method of delivering dental care.

Big Data and Digitalization in Dentistry: A Systematic Review of the Ethical Issues

“…Nine papers discussed the increased employment of Big Data and data analytics in dentistry related to different applications such as data linkage [34], data analytics in dental schools [35], personalized medicine [36], EHRs [37][38][39], and mHealth and teledentistry [40][41][42].…”

“…Ethical concerns related to mHealth and teledentisry-that is, the use of information technologies and telecommunications to provide remotely dental care, education and raise oral health awarenesswere raised by three articles [40][41][42]. As for other Big Data technologies, issues of data security and patient anonymity [40,41] and confidentiality [42] were the most mentioned, as networked transfer through unsecure means could enable unwarranted third parties to obtain easier access to sensitive patient data.…”

“…Ethical concerns related to mHealth and teledentisry-that is, the use of information technologies and telecommunications to provide remotely dental care, education and raise oral health awarenesswere raised by three articles [40][41][42]. As for other Big Data technologies, issues of data security and patient anonymity [40,41] and confidentiality [42] were the most mentioned, as networked transfer through unsecure means could enable unwarranted third parties to obtain easier access to sensitive patient data. mHealth might also have an impact on consent both for the patient who might not have been appropriately informed about all of the risks that teledentistry implies [42] and for non-consenting bystanders, whose data might be collected by the device the patient is using [41].…”

Patient satisfaction with E-Oral Health care in rural and remote settings: a systematic review protocol

“…E-Health is a broad term that encompasses not only technological development but also a way of global thinking and commitment to improving health care services worldwide, using information and communication technology [15, 16]. Telemedicine, m-health, telehealth and teledentistry, among others, fall under the umbrella term of E-Health.…”

“…The first worldwide application of E-Oral Health technology was in fact designed to extend dental diagnosis and treatment in rural areas. The project was conducted in 1994 by the US military [16, 18]. Today, the use of E-Oral Health technology has been reported in dental education, preventive dentistry and oral medicine, among many other areas [19, 20].…”