A task force of academic experts, convened by the Oral Health Foundation and Unilever, has concluded that teledentistry has the potential to give millions of people worldwide regular access to dental services and improve oral healthcare outcomes, according to a report published on April 6 in BDJ InPractice.
The experts found that teledentistry can remove or reduce many of the major barriers that prevent people, particularly those in developing and emerging countries, from accessing dental care. The panel determined that teledentistry can be an effective method for education, dental referrals, the early detection of disease, treatment planning and compliance, and treatment viability.
Teledentistry was found to be particularly useful where access to dental professionals is limited or not evenly spread across a country or region. It was also seen as a cost-saving measure for the patient and the dental clinic.
Around 2.4 billion people globally do not have access to dental care, according to the report.
