Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Teledentistry Among Dental Professionals: A Cross-Sectional

Background: Modern technologies have led to the development of new tools, practices, and digital techniques. However, their use in public health to provide adequate oral health facilities to the community is limited. One of the facilities that can help provide better oral health with minimal cost is teledentistry. The application of this approach will reduce inequalities in accessing oral healthcare. Knowledge of the use of teledentistry is of the utmost importance to its practice. Hence, the objective of this cross-sectional study is to assess the knowledge of and attitude regarding teledentistry among dental professionals in the Sangli district of Maharashtra. Materials and methods: A 24 -unit structured online validated questionnaire with six questions regarding participants' sociodemographic information and 18 questions related to their knowledge and attitude toward teledentistry and informed consent forms were circulated via email among 100 dentists, and the responses obtained were analyzed. Results: Out of 100 responses, 61 showed basic knowledge and a typical attitude toward teledentistry. Urban practitioners were more familiar with teledentistry than rural ones. Conclusion: This survey concludes that the branch of teledentistry still needs to be studied and publicized at a greater level to accelerate its widespread implementation in dentistry and especially to increase the outreach and time efficiency of dentistry.