Awareness of Tele-dentistry among Dental Professionals in Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Teledentistry is a combination of telecommunication and dentistry involving the exchange of clinical information and images over remote distances for dental consultation and treatment planning. The aim of the present study was to know the knowledge and awareness of teledentistry among dental professionals of Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational questionnaire-based study was prepared to assess the knowledge and awareness of teledentistry. Data was collected from August 2021 to December 2021. An online questionnaire was used to collect data. The data thus collected was entered in SPSS software then statistically analyzed and results obtained.

Results:Total of 388 dentist responded to the online questionnaire. In this study, 68% participants responded that use of telephone is the most preferred communication tool for teledentistry. 87% of participants were familiar with the term teledentistry however 54% had only applied it in their daily practice. Regarding the opinion about teledentistry 35.5% thought it as very useful and 42% believed it is limited only to general dentistry. 61.5% feel that teledentistry can be helpful in providing the dental services in remote part of Nepal.

Conclusion: The majority of dental professionals’ knowledge was fair and their attitude towards teledentistry was found to be good. The practice of teledentistry is still at low level in Nepal compared to other advanced applications of teledentistry done in developed countries. This study may provide a valuable data to better understand the knowledge, awareness and perception of Nepalese dentist towards teledentistry. 

Keywords: Awareness, Knowledge, Teledentistry