Bhoomi Shah, Sean W McLaren, Changyong Feng, Gene E Watson, Ronald J Billings, Dorota T Kopycka-Kedzierawski
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Limited access to pediatric oral health care in rural US areas is a substantial dental public health problem. In 2010, the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester, initiated a synchronous teledentistry program to enhance oral health screenings, treatment planning, and treatment completion for rural pediatric patients who reside in the Western region of New York.
Methods: Data from dental records of all pediatric patients who were participants in the teledentistry program from its inception on April 13, 2010 through December 31, 2022, were reviewed. Multiple logistic regression models were used to study the association between treatment compliance rate and age, sex, treatment modality, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: Data from the dental records of 1,168 children were reviewed. Nine hundred fifty-four children (81.6%) completed the recommended treatment within 6 months of synchronous teledentistry consultation. Treatment completion rates varied significantly according to treatment modality. In-office consultation had the highest rate (96.8%), followed by oral sedation (89.7%) and operating room treatment (89.5%). Nitrous oxide (66.7%) had the lowest rate (P < .0001). Children recommended for nitrous oxide anxiolysis had the lowest odds of completing treatment (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.36; P < .0001) compared with other treatment modalities. Being older decreased the likelihood of completing treatment (odds ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85 to 0.99; P = .02). The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect compliance rates.
Conclusions: Synchronous teledentistry consultations with rural pediatric patients and their guardians or caregivers can effectively facilitate treatment completion for children with complex treatment needs in underserved areas.
Practical implications: Synchronous teledentistry is a practical adjunct tool to be considered in dental offices.
期刊介绍:
There is not a single source or solution to help dentists in their quest for lifelong learning, improving dental practice, and dental well-being. JADA+, along with The Journal of the American Dental Association, is striving to do just that, bringing together practical content covering dentistry topics and procedures to help dentists—both general dentists and specialists—provide better patient care and improve oral health and well-being. This is a work in progress; as we add more content, covering more topics of interest, it will continue to expand, becoming an ever-more essential source of oral health knowledge.