Teledentistry for Homebound and Institutionalized Older Adults: A Rapid Review for Its Potential Use in Primary...

To investigate teledentistry practices for oral healthcare of homebound and institutionalized older adults and to discuss their potential applicability to primary healthcare (PHC) settings.

A rapid literature review, structured by the SPICE model, searched 10 databases in October 2024, without language or date restrictions. Two independent researchers screened the studies, and a third researcher resolved disagreements. Data were tabulated to capture study characteristics, teledentistry intervention features, and reported outcomes. The study was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FD3PN).

Sixteen studies were included, comprising 15 teledentistry interventions targeting homebound or institutionalized older adults (≥60 years), conducted primarily in the United States, Japan, Australia, and Chile. Interventions took place at home (n = 9) or in long-term care institutions (n = 7), with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 252 participants and a mean duration of 6.7 months. No intervention was implemented within PHC settings. Applications included oral health assessment, treatment planning and referral, oral health education, and rehabilitation of oral function. Technological approaches were predominantly asynchronous, followed by synchronous and hybrid models. Findings suggest that teledentistry may support the detection of oral conditions, identification of gingival inflammation, improvements in swallowing function, and high levels of patient satisfaction. Challenges included technical barriers and low-digital literacy. Interprofessional collaboration with nurses and oral health technicians was frequently reported.

Teledentistry may improve access to oral healthcare and support patient-centered care for homebound and institutionalized older adults. However, as the included studies were not conducted within PHC settings, these findings should be interpreted as evidence of potential applicability rather than direct implementation. Further research is needed to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and integration of teledentistry within PHC services.