Evaluation of Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes of Dental Students Regarding Teledentistry in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND

Teledentistry is a new field of dentistry that delivers remote dental care services using various technologies. It employs digital imaging and the Internet to improve access for underserved patients in rural or remote areas. To support its integration into future dental practice, it is essential to assess current students' knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward teledentistry.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was administered online via Google Forms to third-, fourth-, and fifth-year undergraduate students. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic information as well as items assessing knowledge of, awareness of, and attitudes toward teledentistry. Data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics version 22.

RESULTS

The study included 302 dental students (48% female, 52% male; mean age: 22.99 ± 2.09 years). Overall, 29% had heard of teledentistry, while only 2% had used it. Among those aware, prior use was higher than among those unaware (5.8% vs. 0.5%, P = 0.001). Significant differences were observed by academic year. Fourth-year students were more likely than third- and fifth-year students to report that teledentistry could be used for educational purposes (50.5% vs. 35.2% and 36.8%, P = 0.045). They also showed higher agreement regarding its use in interdisciplinary virtual consultations (64.4% vs. 46.4% and 56.6%, P = 0.044), Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) follow-up (38.6% vs. 8.8% and 32.9%, P = 0.001), and clinical cost reduction (49.5% vs. 40% and 27.6%, P = 0.025).

CONCLUSION

Most dental students were unfamiliar with teledentistry, its advantages and limitations, and practical applications. Given that teledentistry remains a novel technology, its principles and applications should be incorporated into the undergraduate dental curriculum.