Teledentistry Awareness and Knowledge Among Dental Practitioners and Patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Purpose: Studies show that Teledentistry helps enhance communication between dental peers and patients and improves time management and education. The knowledge and awareness of Teledentistry levels need to be measured for a wider adaption. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and awareness of Teledentistry among dental practitioners and patients who live in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study with two participant groups. It uses five-point Likert-type quantitative, valid, and reliable questionnaires, one for dental providers and one for patients. The providers' questionnaire covers four domains: (1) Teledentistry system effectiveness to improve practice, (2) Teledentistry system usefulness for the dental practice, (3) Teledentistry system usefulness for patients, and (4) Concerns about confidentiality and security of Teledentistry. The patients' questionnaire covers two domains: (1) Patients who have previous experience in Teledentistry and (2) Patients who did not have previous experience in Teledentistry. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this study and distributed it at teaching, governmental hospitals, and private dental clinics. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to collect responses. All consent forms have been collected from the participants.

Results: A total of 512 responses were collected using Google Forms, 203 from the dental healthcare provider and 309 from the patients. The collected data were coded and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. More than 60% of dentists believe in the worth of Teledentistry, which helps patient education, monitors patients' conditions, and improves the services provided to patients in remote areas. Also, more than 70% of patients believe that Teledentistry can significantly save time and money, and more than half wish that Teledentistry be applied to all hospitals.

Conclusion: Dentists and patients generally showed optimism and support for the Teledentistry concept, in addition to how Teledentistry can be beneficial for both dentists and patients.