Possibilities of optimizing dental care for the population with the help of teledentistry: the opinion of practicing dentists

Purpose. To study the opinion of practicing dentists on the prospects and possibilities of introducing telemedicine technologies into dental practice at the level of a separate region – Donetsk.

Materials and methods. Based on the developed questionnaire, a sociological survey of practicing dentists in Donetsk (n=118) with experience in the specialty from 3 to 25 years was conducted. The attitude of respondents to telemedicine technologies was analyzed, taking into account their gender, age, experience in the specialty and specialization.

Results. Dentists noted the undoubted relevance of using teledentistry in their professional activities. It is necessary to note the absence of reliable differences in the analysis of the possibilities and prospects for the introduction of telemedicine technologies in dentistry among male and female respondents, as well as the absence of reliable differences in the readiness to introduce teledentistry depending on the age of doctors.

Conclusion. The use of teledentistry can contribute to a significant reduction in the number of inappropriate referrals, a decrease in the workload of a specialist while increasing the coverage of the population with dental care. At the same time, the limited use of teledentistry in Donetsk was revealed along with the recognition by dentists of the relevance of the active implementation of teledentistry services.