Assessment of teledentistry in improving access to dental care: a systematic review.

Abstract

Teledentistry has emerged as a promising approach to improving access to dental care, particularly for underserved populations. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of teledentistry interventions in enhancing access to dental care. A comprehensive search across multiple databases was conducted to identify studies evaluating teledentistry interventions. Studies were included if they investigated the impact of teledentistry on dental care accessibility, utilization, or patient outcomes. Eligibility criteria were applied systematically to select relevant studies for inclusion. Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The synthesized evidence showed the effectiveness of teledentistry interventions in improving access to oral healthcare services, facilitating timely diagnosis and treatment planning, and enhancing patient outcomes. Despite variations in study designs and methodologies, teledentistry interventions consistently exhibited high diagnostic accuracy and concordance rates compared to traditional face-to-face consultations. The findings highlight teledentistry's transformative potential in modernizing oral healthcare delivery and reducing access disparities.