The knowledge and attitude of dentists regarding teledentistry
Subject Areas : EndodonticsFatemeh Hosseini nejad 1 , Fatemeh Rashidi Meybodi 2 , Meysam mahabadi 3 , Koorosh emamzadeh 4
1 - Faculty of dentistry, Isfahan (khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad university, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of oral diseases, Faculty of dentistry, Isfahan (khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad university, Isfahan, Iran
3 - Department of prosthetic dentistry, Faculty of dentistry, Isfahan (khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad university, Isfahan, Iran
4 - Department of prosthetic dentistry, Faculty of dentistry, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad university, Isfahan, Iran
Keywords: Attitude, knowledge, teledentistry,
Abstract :
Background: Teledentistry is a valuable tool for the patient and the doctor, which can be used in various dental specialties. This study aimed to determine general dentists' awareness and attitude regarding remote dentistry in Isfahan City.Materials and methods: A total of 96 general dentists from Isfahan City were selected in this descriptive and analytical study. Each dentist was given a questionnaire to check the level of knowledge and attitude regarding teledentistry. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections of general professional information, questions related to awareness, and questions related to attitude. Pearson and Mann-Whitney statistical tests analyzed data.Results: A total of 96 dentists, including 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. Concerning the knowledge about teledentistry, 62 people (64.6%) had no knowledge, and 34 people (35.4%) had knowledge. The level of knowledge of general dentists regarding teledentistry was moderate and was not related 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 age, gender, and work experience (p>0.05).Conclusion: This study's results showed that the knowledge and attitude of many general dentists is average. Therefore, more training is needed to create awareness among dentists regarding remote dentistry.