From: Teledentistry during COVID-19 pandemic: scientometric and content analysis approach
The title of included articles | Citations | Centers providing teledentistry services | Teledentistry services | Software/ app used | Advantages of teledentistry | Disadvantages of teledentistry | Barriers/risks of teledentistry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health services provision of 48 public tertiary dental hospitals during the COVID-19 epidemic in China [13] | 49 | China General Dental Hospital | Tele-consultation Remote assessment for identify the population at risk | Access way: web-based mobile Data storage: - Data processing:- | Clinical data integration, access to patients’ medical records, ease of referring patients to hospitals or dental clinics, improving medical care in rural and remote areas | – | – |
Assessment of an Innovative Mobile Dentistry eHygiene Model Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network: Protocol for Design, Implementation, and Usability Testing [14] | 0 | US National Dental Research Network (pilot Study) | Tele-examinations Electronic dental hygiene Oral disease screening | Access way: - Data storage: Mouthwatch TeleDent Data storage: - Data processing:- | Enhancing immunity during COVID-19 and other emerging epidemics, reducing the consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) | – | – |
Role of teledentistry in paediatric dentistry [15] | 1 | Newcastle Dental Hospital | Tele-consultation Tele-triage | Access way: BigWord Translator for patients who needed English translation services, Data storage: Microsoft Excel Data processing:- | Reducing unnecessary travel of patients, reduction of unnecessary face-to-face examination, reduce the waiting list, increasing immunity in the era of Covid-19, reducing anxiety in patients with dental or social phobia, access to dental care for non-English speakers. | Not answering calls due to using withheld numbers, the quality of teleconsultation was dependent on the quality of radiographics, distractions during phone calls and interference with receiving messages | The risk of misdiagnosis and mismanagement of patients due to the quality of received images, patient cooperation and the quality of dentist and patient IT devices, financial implications and disclosures of data/ Teledentistry services unsuitable for certain groups of patients, such as the hearing impaired or those requiring additional assistive communication devices, lack of access to teledentistry services due to not having a mobile phone or computer |
Using an mHealth App (iGAM) to Reduce Gingivitis Remotely (Part 2): Prospective Observational Study [16] | 0 | The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine | Remote Monitoring patients to reduce gingivitis Remote oral health education | Access way: iGAM M Health app Data storage: - Data processing:- | Promote gum health | – | – |
Teledentistry applications for mitigating risk and balancing the clinical schedule [8] | 1 | Green Leaf Dental Care at St. Louis Metropolitan Area | Tele-triage Tele-consultation Hygiene assessment Patient follow-up | Access way: synchronous or asynchronous videoconference | Reducing contact between people during the Covid-19, reducing the volume of patients, reducing waiting time, eliminate the use of PPE | Lack of key functions for easy and reliable workflow management in current software platforms, lack of communication in current software platforms Need more clinical data such as radiographs for differential diagnosis | – |
Rapid deployment of an algorithm to triage dental emergencies during COVID-19 pandemic [17] | 0 | Columbia University College of Dentistry | Tele-visit Tele-triage for Covid-19 symptoms and pain score | Access way: - Data storage: - Data processing: Decision tree algorithm for determining the course of treatment by following the instructions of CDCa, ADAb and CDMc | Optimal access to emergency dental services during Covid-19 Accurate screening of patients who needed emergency care based on a decision-making algorithm | – | – |
Paediatric dental A&E service during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greater London area [18] | 2 | Pediatric Dentistry of St. Thomas Hospital | Tele-triage using the guidance of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Scottish Dental Clinic Effectiveness Program | Access way: secure email to send photos Data storage: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet Data processing | Effective and safety | The three-way call system was not available in urgent cases to solve the problem of patients who do not know English. Phone counseling with parents and not children may affect the reliability of complaints. | – |
Urgent dental care on a national level during the COVID-19 epidemic [19] | 1 | Slovenia at national level | Tele-triage | Access way: Telephone Data storage: - Data processing:- | Effective and safe dental care in the era of COVID-19 Reducing consumption of PPE and its efficient distribution among care providers | Lack of standardization in the data collection phase | Financial implications, involvement of a large number of dental health care workers in data collection and potential impact on data consistency |
Effect of COVID-19 on dental telemedicine in Japan [20] | 1 | Japan Dental Clinic, Oral and Periodontal Surgery and Oral Pathology | The first examination face-to-face and follow-up by phone or online or video | Access way: Telephone, videoconference Data storage: - Data processing: - | Prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in young people and people with high IT literacy | – | Lack of IT literacy of the elderly to use smartphones and tablets Low reimbursement of teledentistry compared to face-to-face examination, challenge in accurate diagnosis due to lack of access to visual information, medical history, systemic diseases of the patient via teleconsultation |
Can Teledentistry Improve the Monitoring of Patients during the Covid-19 Dissemination? A Descriptive Pilot Study [21] | 46 | Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology at University of Magna Graecia Catanzaro, Italy | Tele-consultation of patients with chronic diseases Remote examination of patients’ first visit | Access way: WhatsApp Data storage: hard disks in compliance with the GDPRd Data processing: - | Reduce cost and waiting time Establishing a strong relationship between the doctor and the patient in the recovery process | Cost security Data privacy and its implications | |
The effective use of an e-dentistry service during the COVID-19 crisis [6] | 5 | UK Orthodontic Hospital | Tele-consultation Tele-monitoring of orthodontic services | Access way: AA software, DeRS, phone 141, NHS Email Data storage: - Data processing: - | Saving time and money especially for people in remote areas, reducing waiting time, reducing environmental impact | Limitation in active treatment and adjustment of orthodontic equipment of patients, need to interact with patients in orthodontic services | Need to interact with orthodentis |
Provision of emergency maxillofacial service during the COVID-19 pandemic: a collaborative five centre UK study [9] | 23 | Multicenter Study including Oral and Maxillofacial Units based at five NHS Hospitals | Tele-consultation | Access way: web-based application, telephone, video call Data storage: web-based application Data processing: automated algorithms | Reduction in the number of patients The willingness of patients to teleconsultation due to saving money and time even after the pandemic | Different access levels of some treatment centers to video equipment or strong internet connections | Different levels IT equipment in treatment centers |
Dental Emergencies Management in COVID-19 Pandemic Peak: A Cohort Study [22] | 4 | St. Luke University Clinic (Brussels, Belgium) | Tele-triage Remote management of patients Tele-consultation | Access way: Telephone, Email, Data storage: systematic form Data processing:- | Reduction of patient admissions, success in emergency management of patients and postponing definitive treatment to a month later | – | Sending images electronically |
Dental Public Health in Action: Utilising a telephone triage system to run an Urgent Dental Care Hub during the COVID-19 pandemic [23] | 0 | NHS Foundation Hospitals in South West London | Tele-triage Tele-consultation | Access way: Call 111, email Data storage: Proforma Data processing:- | Facilitate emergency dental care | Inability to perform clinical examination and radiographic observation of the patient through telephone triage | – |
COVID-19 and Orthodontics: An Approach for Monitoring Patients at Home [24] | 3 | Private Dental Clinics in Italy | Tele-monitoring Remote management of orthodontic patients | Access way: WhatsApp Data storage: - Data processing:- | High Patient cooperation, high speed response due to the use of WhatsApp | The quality of the images was different depending on the smartphone, which led to the orthodontist requesting retakes | Different quality of the images |