Dental screenings using telehealth technology: a pilot study.

Abstract

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.