Evaluation of knowledge and awareness about teledentistry among dentists and patients living in Turkey

Teledentistry is a field of telemedicine that combines digital technology and clinical dentistry, enabling remote communication between dentists and patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of dentists and patients about teledentistry in Turkey. This cross-sectional study was conducted among general and specialist dentists in Turkey, and dental patients in Edirne, Turkey. A questionnaire prepared in Google Docs was shared virtually among Turkish dentists, as well as administered to the patients referred to the university dental clinic in Edirne. Among the 336 dentists participating in the study, 69.9% were female, 39.6% were working in the profession for 1-5 years, and 48.5% were specialist dentists. A total of 86.9% of dentists stated they would like to use teledentistry for radiological examinations, some follow-up examinations, and for follow-up during holidays. There were 21.1% of dentists who thought that teledentistry practices could be the new standard of oral healthcare, and only 34.0% were willing to try such practices. Among the 447 patients in the study, 49.9% were female, 79.0% were aged 20-44 years, and 54.4% had middle income. There were 74.5% of patients who stated that it would be easier to communicate with the dentist via a teledentistry application, 80.3% of patients in the underserved regions stated it would facilitate access to the dentist, 76.3% of patients stated that it would reduce costs, and 88.8% of patients thought that this method could help overcome the problem of isolation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic period. Based on the results, it can be said that the teledentistry approach would provide convenience for both dentists and patients in terms of dentist-patient communication, cost and efficiency of dental care.