Acceptance and Demand for Teledentistry and the Role of Dental Hygienists

INTRODUCTION: In 2020, telemedicine between doctors and patients was temporarily permitted without restrictions as a response to COVID-19. However, dental telemedicine adoption was significantly lower than in other medical fields, highlighting the need to investigate factors affecting its acceptance. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptance and demand for dental telemedicine among dental professionals and the general public and examine the roles of dental hygienists in this context. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 253 participants, including dental hygienists and dentists (with ≥ 1 year of clinical experience), and adults (≥ 19 years old) with prior dental care experience. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 25.0. RESULTS: Significant differences in acceptance were observed among groups (p < 0.001), with higher acceptance in the general public (50.3%) than in dental hygienists (27.1%) and dentists (20.0%). Over 70% of respondents across all groups recognised the importance of dental hygienists in teledentistry. CONCLUSION: Dental professionals were more concerned about the limitations of dental telemedicine than its benefits. To facilitate the successful implementation of telemedicine systems in dentistry, establishing clear guidelines and legal frameworks for dental telemedicine is essential. Additionally, defining the roles and responsibilities of dental professionals, particularly dental hygienists, is crucial to ensuring the effective operation of these systems.