Dentists’ experiences and perceptions regarding Teledentistry practice

: A cross-sectional study and systematic review

Abstract

Background: A multifaceted set of factors hinders Teledentistry's integration into
dental practice. This study aimed to explore dentists' experiences and perceptions
regarding teledentistry. Method: A cross-sectional study and a Systematic Review
were conducted. The study had 26 participants and employed a self-reported online questionnaire to gather demographic and professional data, along with participants’
experiences and perceptions regarding teledentistry, using a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using SPSS software, with descriptive statistics summarising the results. The review searched articles on teledentistry published between 2013 and
2024 in ten online databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was
employed to analyse each article's risk of bias (RoB), and the Oxford Centre for
Evidence-Based Medicine tool was used to evaluate the level of evidence. Thirteen
studies were included. A narrative synthesis was used to explore relationships within
and across studies. Results: Levels of awareness ranged from low to high (review
38% - 94.7%), and knowledge was high (study M = 4.18, review 39% - 69.3%;).
Dental practitioners had positive attitudes (study M = 3.59, review 72.5%;) towards teledentistry and good skills (CSS M = 3.88), but there were concerns about challenges like lack of training and infrastructure. WIFI access enhanced skill acquisition. Teledentistry practice was generally poor (review 23.2% - 30%) even
though most participants supported its use (review 93.5%). Conclusion: Teledentistry
has the potential to improve patient outcomes and expand dental care access, but challenges like inadequate training and infrastructure hinder its widespread adoption,
necessitating further research.

Date of Award	2024-Dec
Original language	Swedish
Supervisor	Pia Andersson (Supervisor) & Ulrika Olsson Möller (Examiner)