Keywords
COVID-19; Telemedicina; Atención dental; Tecnología.
How to Cite
Abstract
Telehealth, the use of telecommunications technology and electronic information to aid in healthcare delivery, has revolutionized patient care. Health communities have already approved telemedicine for treating certain acute and chronic diseases, while teledentistry has emerged as a distinct field within the broader scope of telemedicine. Numerous trials have demonstrated the value of teledentistry in reducing dental expenses and expanding dental care access to remote and rural areas. With technological advancements, teledentistry holds the potential to further enhance dental services and patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought healthcare to the forefront of public concern. The need for close face-to-face contact with patients largely led to the suspension of dentistry services. However, the increased use of cell phones and related software packages integrated into "teledentistry" has facilitated easier clinical data exchange between patients and clinicians. This technology proved invaluable for dentists managing dental emergencies during lockdowns, providing an innovative means to resume dental practice. As a result, integrating teledentistry into routine dental practice as a complement to the existing dental system is advisable. It has the potential to revolutionize dental care for the better by expanding access to care and decreasing expenses. Given these circumstances, this review discusses the value and implications of teledentistry, highlighting its potential as a game-changing solution for the dental industry.
References
Afshin, A., Babalola, D., Mclean, M., Yu, Z., Ma, W., Chen, C.Y., Arabi, M., Mozaffarian, D., 2016. Information Technology and Lifestyle: A Systematic Evaluation of Internet and Mobile Interventions for Improving Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity, Tobacco, and Alcohol Use. J Am Heart Assoc. 5 (9): e003058.doi: 10.1161/JAHA.115.003058
Lee, T.Y., Sun, G.T., Kou, L.T., Yeh, M.L., 2017. The use of information technology to enhance patient safety and nursing efficiency. Technol Health Care. 25 (5): 917-928. doi: 10.3233/THC-170848
Dils, E.S., Lefebvre, C., Abeyta, K., 2004. Teledentistry in the United States: A New Horizon of Dental Care. Int J Dent Hyg. 2 (4): 161-164. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2004.00093.x
Marcoux, R.M., Vogenberg, F.R., 2016. Telehealth: applications from a legal and regulatory perspective. PT. 41(9): 567. PMID: 27630526
Kvedar, J., Coye, M.J., Everett, W., 2014. Connected health: a review of technologies and strategies to improve patient care with telemedicine and telehealth. Health Aff (Millwood). 33 (2): 194-199. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0992
Uscher-Pines, L., Mehrotra, A., 2014. Analysis of Teladoc use seems to indicate expanded access to care for patients without prior connection to a provider. Health Aff (Millwood). 33 (2): 258-264. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0989
Vegesna, A., Tran, M., Angelaccio, M., Arcona, S., 2017. Remote Patient Monitoring via Non-Invasive Digital Technologies: A Systematic Review. Telemed J E Health. 23 (1): 3-17. doi:10.1089/tmj.2016.0051
McDonnell, M.E., 2018. Telemedicine in Complex Diabetes Management. Curr Diab Rep. 18 (7): 42. doi:10.1007/s11892-018-1015-3
Esteban, C., Moraza, J., Iriberri, M., Aguirre, U., Goiria, B., Quintana, J.M., Aburto, M. and Capelastegui, A., 2016. Outcomes of a telemonitoring-based program (telEPOC) in frequently hospitalized COPD patients. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 11: 2919-2930. doi:10.2147/COPD.S115350
Zakaria, A., Maurer, T., Su, G., Amerson, E., 2019. Impact of teledermatology on the accessibility and efficiency of dermatology care in an urban safety-net hospital: A pre-post analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 81 (6): 1446-1452. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.08.016
Inglis, S.C., Clark, R.A., McAlister, F.A., Ball, J., Lewinter, C., Cullington, D., Stewart, S., Cleland, J.G., 2010. Structured telephone support or telemonitoring programmes for patients with chronic heart failure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 8: CD007228. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007228.pub2
Ong, M.K., Romano, P.S., Edgington, S., Aronow, H.U., Auerbach, A.D., Black, J.T., De Marco, T., Escarce, J.J., Evangelista, L.S., Hanna, B., Ganiats, T.G., 2016. Effectiveness of Remote Patient Monitoring After Discharge of Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure: The Better Effectiveness After Transition-Heart Failure (BEAT-HF) Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 176 (3): 310-318. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7712
Kale, E., Syed, H.R., 2010. Language barriers and the use of interpreters in the public health services. A questionnaire-based survey. Patient Educ Couns. 81 (2): 187-191. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.05.002
Currell, R., Urquhart, C., Wainwright, P., Lewis, R., 2000. Telemedicine versus face to face patient care: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2: CD002098. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002098
Rocca, M.A., Kudryk, V.L., Pajak, J.C., Morris, T., 1999. The evolution of a teledentistry system within the Department of Defense. Proc AMIA Symp. 1999: 921-924. PMID: 10566495
Jain, A., Bhaskar, D.J., Gupta, D., Agali, C., Mark, R., 2014. Dental hand for rural population: Teledentistry. Journal of Contemporary Dentistry. 4 (1): 27-29.
Li, X., Xu, Z.R., Tang, N., Ye, C., Zhu, X.L., Zhou, T., Zhao, Z.H. 2016. Effect of intervention using a messaging app on compliance and duration of treatment in orthodontic patients. Clin Oral Investig. 20 (8): 1849-1859. doi: 10.1007/s00784-015-1662-6
Sharma, H., Suprabha, B.S., Rao, A., 2021. Teledentistry and its applications in paediatric dentistry: A literature review. Pediatr Dent J. 31 (3): 203-215. PMID: 34848924
Tynan, A., Deeth, L., McKenzie, D., Bourke, C., Stenhouse, S., Pitt, J., Linneman, H., 2018. Integrated approach to oral health in aged care facilities using oral health practitioners and teledentistry in rural Queensland. Aust J Rural Health. 26, 290-294. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12410
Jampani, N.D., Nutalapati, R., Dontula, B.S., Boyapati, R., 2011. Applications of teledentistry: a literature review and update. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 1 (2): 37-44. doi: 10.4103/2231-0762.97695
Torres-Pereira, C., Possebon, R.S., Simões, A., Bortoluzzi, M.C., Leao, J.C., Giovanini, A.F. and Piazetta, C.M., 2008. Email for distance diagnosis of oral diseases: a preliminary study of teledentistry. J Telemed Telecare. 14 (8): 435-438. doi: 10.1258/jtt.2008.080510
Duka, M., Mihailović, B., Miladinović, M., Janković, A., Vujicić, B., 2009. [Evaluation of telemedicine systems for impacted third molars diagnosis]. Vojnosanit Pregl. 66 (12): 985-991. doi: 10.2298/vsp0912985d
Brullmann, D., Schmidtmann, I., Warzecha, K., d’Hoedt, B., 2011. Recognition of root canal orifices at a distance-A preliminary study of Teledentistry. J Telemed Telecare. 17 (3): 154-157. doi: 10.1258/jtt.2010.100507
Berndt, J., Leone, P., King, G., 2008. Using Teledentistry to Provide Interceptive Orthodontic Services to Disadvantaged Children. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 134 (5): 700-706. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2007.12.023
Cook, J., Edwards, J., Mullings, C., Stephens, C., 2001. Dentists’ Opinions of an Online Orthodontic Advice Service. J Telemed Telecare. 7 (6), 334-337. doi: 10.1258/1357633011936967
Ignatius, E., Perala, S., Makela, K., 2010. Use of Videoconferencing for Consultation in Dental Prosthetics and Oral Rehabilitation. J Telemed Telecare. 16 (8), 467-470.
Kopycka-Kedzierawski, D.T., Billings, R.J., 2011. Prevalence of dental caries and dental care utilization in pre-school urban children enrolled in a comparative-effectiveness study. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 12 (3), 133-138. doi: 10.1007/BF03262794
Greenhalgh, T., Wherton, J., Shaw, S., Morrison, C., 2020. Video consultations for covid-19. BMJ. 368:m998. doi:10.1136/bmj.m998
Stephen, K.H., Molinari, J., 2004. Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: A brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc. 135 (4), 429-437. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0207
Ahmed, M.A., Jouhar, R., Ahmed, N., Adnan, S., Aftab, M., Zafar, M.S., Khurshid, Z., 2020. Fear and Practice Modifications among Dentists to Combat Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 17 (8): 2821. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082821
Matusitz, J., Breen, G.M., 2007. Telemedicine: its effects on health communication. Health Commun. 21 (1): 73-83. doi:10.1080/10410230701283439
Farooq, I., Ali, S., 2020. COVID-19 outbreak and its monetary implications for dental practices, hospitals and healthcare workers. Postgrad Med J. 96 (1142): 791-792. doi:10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-137781
Giudice, A., Barone, S., Muraca, D., Averta, F., Diodati, F., Antonelli, A., Fortunato, L., 2020. Can Teledentistry Improve the Monitoring of Patients during the Covid-19 Dissemination? A Descriptive Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 17 (10): 3399. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103399
Meng, L., Hua, F., Bian, Z., 2020. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Emerging and Future Challenges for Dental and Oral Medicine. J Dent Res. 99 (5): 481-487. doi: 10.1177/0022034520914246
Machado, R.A., de Souza, N.L., Oliveira, R.M., Martelli Júnior, H., Bonan, P.R.F., 2020. Social media and telemedicine for oral diagnosis and counselling in the COVID-19 era. Oral Oncol. 105: 104685. doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104685
Alsafwani, Z., Shiboski, C., Villa, A., 2022. The role of telemedicine for symptoms management in oral medicine: a retrospective observational study. BMC Oral Health. 22 (1): 1-6. 10.1186/s12903-022-02133-1
Barca, I., Novembre, D., Giofrè, E., Caruso, D., Cordaro, R., Kallaverja, E., Ferragina, F., Cristofaro, M.G., 2020. Telemedicine in oral and maxillo-facial surgery: an effective alternative in post COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 17 (20): 7365. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17207365
Meurer, M.I., Von Wangenheim, A., Zimmermann, C., Savaris, A., Petrolini, V.A., Wagner, H.M., 2022. Launching a public statewide tele (oral) medicine service in Brazil during COVID-19 pandemic. Oral Dis. 28 (Suppl 1): 947-949. doi: 10.1111/odi.13528
Muniz, I.D., Campos, D.E., Shinkai, R.S., Trindade, T.G., Cosme-Trindade, D.C., 2021. Case report of oral mucosa garlic burn during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and role of teledentistry to manage oral health in an older adult woman. Spec Care Dentist. 41 (5): 639-643. doi: 10.1111/scd.12605
Crawford, E., Taylor, N., 2020. The effective use of an e-dentistry service during the COVID-19 crisis. J Orthod. 47, 330-337. doi: 10.1177/1465312520949557
Brecher, E.A., Keels, M.A., Carrico, C.K., Hamilton, D.S., 2021. Teledentistry implementation in a private pediatric dental practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatr Dent. 43 (6): 463-467. PMID: 34937617
Wallace, C.K., Schofield, C.E., Burbridge, L.A., O’Donnell, K.L., 2021. Role of teledentistry in paediatric dentistry. Br Dent J. 1-6. doi: 10.1038/s41415-021-3015-y
Aldhuwayhi, S., Shaikh, S.A., Thakare, A.A., Mustafa, M.Z., Mallineni, S.K., 2021. Remote management of prosthodontic emergencies in the geriatric population during the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. Front Med (Lausanne). 8: 648675. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.648675
Kochhar, A.S., Bhasin, R., Kochhar, G.K., Dadlani, H., 2020. Provision of continuous dental care for oral oncology patients during & after COVID-19 pandemic. Oral Oncol. 106: 104785. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104785
Rajendran, S., Zaini, Z.M., Lim, Y.Z., Kallarakkal, T.G., Ramanathan, A., Chan, S.W., Goh, Y.C., Tan, C.C., Lim, D., Hassan, M.K., Kanapathy, J., 2022. Accelerated implementation of teleconsultation services for the monitoring of oral potentially malignant disorders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oral Oncol. 126: 105730. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.105730
Kamel, A.H.M., Basuoni, A., Salem, Z.A., AbuBakr, N., 2021. The impact of oral health status on COVID-19 severity, recovery period and C-reactive protein values. Br Dent J. 1-7. doi:10.1038/s41415-021-2656-1
AbuBakr, N., Salem, Z.A., Kamel, A.H.M., 2021. Oral manifestations in mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 viral infection in the adult population. Dent Med Probl. 58 (1): 7-15. doi:10.17219/dmp/130814
Estai, M., Kruger, E., Tennant, M., 2016. Perceptions of Australian dental practitioners about using telemedicine in dental practice. Br Dent J. 220 (1): 25-29. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.25
Palmer, N.G., Yacyshyn, J.R., Northcott, H.C., Nebbe, B., Major, P.W., 2005. Perceptions and attitudes of Canadian orthodontists regarding digital and electronic technology. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 128 (2): 163-167. doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2005.02.015
Al-Khalifa, K.S., AlSheikh, R., 2020. Teledentistry awareness among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. PLoS One. 15 (10): e0240825. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240825
Maqsood, A., Sadiq, M.S.K., Mirza, D., Ahmed, N., Lal, A., Alam, M.K., Halim, M.S.B., 2021. The Teledentistry, Impact, Current Trends, and Application in Dentistry: A Global Study. Biomed Res Int. 2021: 5437237. doi:10.1155/2021/5437237
Estai, M., Kanagasingam, Y., Xiao, D., Vignarajan, J., Bunt, S., Kruger, E., Tennant, M., 2017. End-user acceptance of a cloud-based teledentistry system and Android phone app for remote screening for oral diseases. J Telemed Telecare. 23 (1): 44-52. doi:10.1177/1357633X15621847
Khan, S.A., Omar, H., 2013. Teledentistry in practice: literature review. Telemed J E Health. 19 (7): 565-567. doi:10.1089/tmj.2012.0200
Ghai, S., 2020. Are dental schools adequately preparing dental students to face outbreaks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19?. J Dent Educ. 84(6),631-633. doi:10.1002/jdd.12174
Petcu, R., Kimble, C., Ologeanu-Taddei, R., Bourdon, I., Giraudeau, N., 2017. Assessing patient's perception of oral teleconsultation. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 33 (2): 147-154. doi:10.1017/S0266462317000319
Bradley, M., Black, P., Noble, S., Thompson, R., Lamey, P.J., 2010. Application of teledentistry in oral medicine in a community dental service, N. Ireland. Br Dent J. 209 (8): 399-404. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.928
Deshpande, S., Patil, D., Dhokar, A., Bhanushali, P., Katge, F., 2021. Teledentistry: A Boon Amidst COVID-19 Lockdown-A Narrative Review. Int J Telemed Appl. 2021: 8859746. doi:10.1155/2021/885974
Tella, A.J., Olanloye, O.M., Ibiyemi, O., 2019. Potential of teledentistry in the delivery of oral health services in developing countries. Ann Ib Postgrad Med. 17 (2):115-123. PMID: 32669987