Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025

A Standardized Approach to Extra-Oral and Intra-Oral Digital Photography
Published on: July 22, 2022
Instructional strategies and challenges for implementing teledentistry in dental hygiene curricula: A qualitative
Tricia A Spearin1, Candace L Ayers2
1University of Maine at Augusta-Bangor, Bangor, Maine, USA.
Purpose/Objectives:
Research has documented the implementation of telecommunications and virtual technology use in health care disciplines to expand accessibility. Despite the current trend of digital innovations in healthcare systems, telehealth technology is not readily adopted in the dental hygiene profession yet. Currently, no standardized educational framework exists in dental hygiene curricula to prepare professionals with the technical skill set and professional knowledge necessary for telehealth applications. The aims and objectives of this research were (1) to investigate existing dental hygiene educators' pedagogical frameworks for incorporating telehealth technology into dental hygiene curricula, (2) explore these educators' instructional strategies for teaching telehealth technology, and (3) examine the theoretical implications and practical outcomes of teaching telehealth technology for professional development and transferrable work-force ready skills.
Methods:
A nine-item, open-ended, semi-structured interview guide was prepared and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in January 2023 to qualitatively investigate accredited entry-level dental hygiene programs in the United States. Thematic interpretational analysis was conducted using NVivo software.
Results:
A total of 54 of the 328 dental hygiene programs volunteered for participation. Thirteen full-time and part-time dental hygiene educators met inclusion criteria. The core salient themes identified included (a) curriculum mapping, (b) technology integration, (c) professional collaboration, and (d) supplemental skill set.
Conclusions:
These findings provide guidance to dental hygiene programs for bridging the teledentistry knowledge gap in curriculum development. Incorporating telehealth applications into dental hygiene curricula prepares future dental hygienists with the specialized training needed to function as a member of contemporary health care teams addressing access to care.
More Related Videos
07:14Guided Endodontics: Three-Dimensional Planning and Template-Aided Preparation of Endodontic Access Cavities
Published on: May 24, 2022
09:55Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology
Published on: September 28, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching II: Planning and Implementation
Current Trends in Nursing II
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning,...
Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...