Patients' experience with teledentistry compared to conventional follow-up visits in TMD clinic: A pilot study

Alaa Husni Qari; Raghad Mohammed Alharbi; Shahd Saud Alomiri; Banan Nasser Alandanusi; Lina Ayman Mirza; Mohammad Hasan Al-Harthy

doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104774

Patients' experience with teledentistry compared to conventional follow-up visits in TMD clinic: A pilot study

J Dent. 2024 Jan:140:104774. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104774. Epub 2023 Nov 4.

Authors

Alaa Husni Qari¹, Raghad Mohammed Alharbi², Shahd Saud Alomiri², Banan Nasser Alandanusi², Lina Ayman Mirza², Mohammad Hasan Al-Harthy³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; College of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
² College of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Oral Basic and Clinical Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: mhharthy@uqu.edu.sa.

PMID: 37931696
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104774

Abstract

Objectives: Teledentistry has been used in many dental specialties including temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Studies have measured patients' experience with teledentistry visits. Thus, this study aimed to assess the experience of patients seen using teledentistry compared to the traditional Orofacial Pain (OFP) and TMD visits.

Methods: An interventional study was conducted on 25 patients following up at the TMD clinic. The first follow-up occurred in person at the hospital clinic, where patients were given a survey at the end of the visit. A questionnaire included the following sections: socio-demographic information, patient experience of the visit, preferred online platforms, and patients' familiarity with these platforms. Patients had teledentistry visits via ZOOM Premium. After the visit, patients were given a second survey highlighting their experience towards the virtual visit and sections from the first survey. The study compares patients' satisfaction between conventional and virtual follow-up visits and compares patient experience differences based on their demographics.

Results and conclusion: Twenty-five patients completed both surveys. Over half of the participants were younger than 35 years old (64 %), and the majority were female (80 %). A total of 76 % had used virtual platforms prior to the study, and 74 % of them were convenient. Regarding patients' experience, only a borderline difference existed among the age groups of the study in effectively using teledentistry in the follow-ups compared to conventional visits (p = 0.05). Other results revealed no significant differences in patients' experience between virtual and conventional visits, indicating that high-quality dental care services can be provided remotely. Therefore, teledentistry could be integrated into the OFP and TMD Clinic flow without adversely affecting patient experience or quality of care.

Clinical significance: Virtual follow-up visits could save patients' time, effort, and travel costs compared to conventional visits. Waiting lists are increasing in almost all dental; thus, integrating virtual follow-up visits would shorten these lists.

Keywords: Perception; TMJ; Teledentistry; Telemedicine; Temporomandibular joint disorders.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Costs and Cost Analysis
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Patient Satisfaction*
Pilot Projects
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders* / therapy