The use of teledentistry in facilitating oral health for older adults A scoping review

Background. Teledentistry is used in many countries to provide oral health care services. However, using teledentistry to provide oral health care services for older adults is not well documented. This knowledge gap needs to be addressed, especially when accessing a dental clinic is not possible and teledentistry might be the only way for many older adults to receive oral health care services. Types of Studies Reviewed. Nine databases were searched and 3,396 studies were screened using established eligibility criteria. Included studies were original research or review articles in which the intervention of interest was delivered to an older adult population (> 60 years) via teledentistry. The authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review criteria. Results. Nineteen studies were identified that met the criteria for inclusion. Only 1 study was from the United States. Seven studies had results focusing on older adult participants only, with most of those conducted in elder care facilities. The remainder consisted of studies with mixed-age populations reporting distinct results or information for older adults. The included studies used teledentistry, in both synchronous and asynchronous modes, to provide services such as diagnosis, oral hygiene promotion, assessment and referral of oral emergencies, and postintervention follow-up. Conclusions and Practical Implications. Teledentistry comprises a variety of promising apps. The authors identified and described uses, promising possibilities, and limitations of teledentistry to improve the oral health of older adults.