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Dental screenings using telehealth technology: a pilot study
1Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Alberta.
Background:
This pilot study compared data obtained using traditional methods of visual dental screenings in a school setting with data obtained using an intraoral camera and transmitted to a distant location via telehealth technology.
Methods:
For the study, 137 schoolchildren were screened using traditional methods. Two months later, 32 children were randomly selected and rescreened in a single day using the intraoral camera and the telehealth system. The measurement indices used were deft/DMFT.
Results:
A comparison revealed no significant difference in the data collected by the two screening methods. The percentage agreement between the methods ranged from 89% to 100%.
Conclusion:
In under-serviced or remote areas, the telehealth system may allow for accurate identification of oral conditions and act as a means of consultation at a distance between specialists, general dental practitioners, dental hygienists and individual patients.