Patient Comfort With Smartphone-Based and Intraoral Camera Imaging in Teledentistry: Observational Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Smartphone-based imaging has shown promise in teledentistry; yet, patient comfort during its use compared with intraoral cameras remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare self-perceived comfort during oral evaluations using smartphones and intraoral cameras in a teledentistry setting.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 192 participants aged 6 years and older completed a survey and underwent 2 procedures: trained researchers captured 3 photographs of the anterior teeth with a Samsung smartphone, and the same teeth were examined with a MouthWatch intraoral camera. Comfort was rated by participants before and after each procedure using a pictorial 7-point Likert scale, and data were analyzed with nonparametric tests.

RESULTS

Comfort decreased in 15% (29/192) of the participants following intraoral camera examination (P=.001), while no significant change was observed after smartphone imaging (P=.52). The difference in comfort change between smartphone imaging and intraoral camera examination was marginal (P=.05). Among the small subgroup of youths (aged 6-19 years; n=13, 6.8%), 38% (5/13) reported a reduction in comfort after smartphone imaging, compared with 10% (18/179) among adults (P=.02). In addition, significantly more participants without tooth wear reported a reduction in comfort after smartphone imaging (5/12, 42%), compared with 10% (18/180) among those with tooth wear (P=.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the findings indicate generally comparable comfort levels between the 2 approaches, with a marginal difference favoring smartphone imaging. While the potential for broader use of smartphone-based imaging in a teledentistry setting still requires further research, targeted education and aligned institutional and insurance policies may enable its scalable, sustainable integration that enhances patient experience.