The knowledge and attitude of general dentists regarding teledentistry, Isfahan 2022

Teledentistry is a valuable tool, which can be used in various dental specialties for the benefit of both patients and doctors. This study was conducted in Isfahan to determine the level of knowledge and attitude of general dentists regarding teledentistry .

A total of 96 general dentists from Isfahan City participated in this cross-sectional study. Each dentist was given a questionnaire to assess their level of knowledge and attitude regarding teledentistry. The questionnaire consisted of three sections which included general professional information, questions related to knowledge, and questions related to attitude. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson and Mann-Whitney statistical tests (α=0.05).

The results of the study showed that 56 women (58.3 percent) and 40 men (41.7 percent) with an average age of 28.20±2.38 years and an average working experience in dentistry of 3.30±2.10 years, participated in the study. In regards to knowledge about teledentistry, 62 people (64.6%) did not know, and 34 people (35.4%) had some knowledge. The level of knowledge of general dentists regarding teledentistry was moderate and unrelated to age, gender, and work experience (p>0.05). Also, the level of attitude of general dentists regarding teledentistry was moderate and was not related to participants 'age, gender, and work experience (p>0.05).

This study revealed that the knowledge and attitude of many general dentists toward teledentistry is moderate. Therefore, more training is necessary to create awareness among dentists regarding remote dentistry.