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Diagnostic accuracy of teledentistry for dental caries among children and adolescents (6-18 years): a systematic review

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Aug 27, 2021 version files 14.30 KB

Abstract

Teledentistry can be used to enhance access to dental care by reducing treatment and travel costs. It can also improve the quality of dental care by sharing patient information remotely with dental specialists and getting their advice in diagnosis and treatment planning. This systematic review is aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of teledentistry compared to the standard visual inspection for dental caries among children and adolescents. We developed search strategies for different databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Dentistry and oral sciences source) using MeSH terms and keywords. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted the studies against the eligibility criteria. The quality assessment for diagnostic accuracy studies-2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. In case of any disagreement, the third reviewer was consulted. We included seven studies that met the inclusion criteria. six studies reported on validity and one study reported on the feasibility of teledentistry in diagnosing dental caries. The pooled sensitivity of teledentistry, when compared to visual examination was 82% (95% CI: 81-84%), and specificity was 90% (95% CI: 89-92). In one study from Australia, it was reported that the total estimated cost for teledentistry and visual examination was 50 million dollars and 135 million dollars, respectively. According to the study findings, teledentistry was 2.7 times less expensive than the visual examination method. Based on the limited findings, it is concluded that teledentistry has the potential for diagnosing dental caries in children and adolecents, but further studies in varying contexts are needed to ascertain its benefits especially in low- and middle- income countries.