Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dentists in Erbil City, Iraq, towards tele-dentistry: a cross-sectional study

Teledentistry has emerged as a promising digital health strategy; however, its implementation depends largely on clinicians' preparedness. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of dentists in Erbil City, Iraq, toward teledentistry and identified factors associated with its adoption.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 426 licensed dentists. KAP levels were classified using modified Bloom's cut-off criteria, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice.

Overall, poor knowledge was observed in 62.9% of participants, moderate knowledge in 9.2%, and high knowledge in 27.9%. Attitudes were predominantly neutral (49.1%), while only 8.7% demonstrated positive attitudes. Poor practice was reported by 63.1%, and only 16.2% showed good teledentistry practice. Knowledge level was significantly associated with professional qualification (p < 0.001), while positive attitude was associated with female gender (AOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.08-6.52, p = 0.034) and good knowledge (AOR = 7.17, 95% CI: 3.28-15.66, p < 0.001). Good practice was significantly associated with good knowledge (AOR = 23.29, 95% CI: 10.70-50.70, p < 0.001) and increasing age (AOR = 1.12 per year, 95% CI: 1.07-1.17, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported barriers were concerns regarding patient acceptance (84.7%) and lack of formal training (83.8%). These findings likely reflect perceived rather than objectively measured barriers and may be influenced by limited clinical experience with teledentistry.

Teledentistry adoption among dentists in Erbil remains limited and appears primarily constrained by gaps in knowledge and practical competence rather than negative perceptions alone.