165 - Teledentistry for Pediatric Dental Emergency: Comparison Between Experienced and Novice Users

Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess the quality of using teledentistry among General Dentists (GD) and Dental Students (DS) for managing pediatric dental emergencies.

Methods: Teledentistry with five emergency scenario simulations were randomly assigned to evaluate quality of diagnosis (QD), treatment (QT) and the detailed information (DI) among 60 GD and 85 DS. A post-visit survey collected demographic data, usability, confidence of diagnosis (CD) and confidence of treatment recommendation (CT). Descriptive and inferential statistics data was analyzed. Significant level was set as P<0.05.

Results: Teledentistry provides good QD (74.5 percent) and QT (77.2 percent). Among scenarios, GD scored significantly higher (P <0.001) than DS regarding QD, QT, CD, and CT. Significant differences were noted in QD (P <0.001), QT (P <0.001), CD (P=0.045), and DI (P=0.042) in five scenarios. Significant correlations were noted between DI with QD (P=0.022) and QT (P=0.027). CD is significantly correlated to QD (P=0.034) and QT(P=0.042), but not CT. Both GD and DS hold positive attitudes towards the usability of teledentistry.

Conclusion: Teledentistry is effective for diagnosing and managing pediatric dental emergencies. Experienced users provided a better quality of visit compared to novice users; so dental students should be supervised when performing a teledentistry visit.