Teledentistry: An Appraisal of Google Play Store Applications

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, 2016

Innovative Publication, 2016

Background: Health care has changed dramatically by the scientific blend of telecommunication and smart phones. The result of which is the teledentistry, an innovative field that involves the exchange of clinical information and images over remote distances for consultation and treatment planning by linking them with the specialists in larger communities. WhatsApp Messenger is cross-platform mobile messaging application that demonstrated its utility and efficacy in various clinical setting. Aim: To assess the perception level regarding WhatsApp mobile based application among Oral Medicine and Radiology specialists in India. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional web based online survey was conducted among the total of 100 Oral Medicine and Radiology specialists across India. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to assess their perception level (12 items) regarding WhatsApp application. The response format was based on 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of variance, t-test was utilized for statistical analysis. Other part of the questionnaire recorded demographic data and other assorted questions. Results: 83(95.40%) subjects use Teledentistry in Oral Medicine and Radiology practice. Statistically significant result was found in different age group and years of practice with respective use of teledentistry in practice. The mean score for perception regarding WhatsApp was 41.95. Data analysis revealed that age group and years of work experience were significantly associated with perception level score (p=0.0001). 63.51% subjects strongly agreed sharing patient's information in the " Whatsapp " leads to breach in the patient confidentiality. Conclusion: The use of smart phone teledentistry is an efficient and effective way for remote specialist consultation. Other than patient confidentiality concern, majority of the subjects in this study shows positive assessment for the use of WhatsApp application in Oral Medicine and Radiology.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH

The future of healthcare delivery keeps evolving and mobile phone technology may have a huge role to play. Mobile health (mHealth) is a facet of Electronic Health (eHealth) that involves the use of mobile phones and other wireless devices in medical practice. The effectiveness of mHealth has been proven in different studies as well as in different aspects of medicine and dentistry. Text messaging has made significant progress in delivering health education for maintaining oral hygiene, especially for orthodontic patients as well as tobacco cessation counseling. Mobile phone applications incorporate various features like gaming, audio, and video messages to engage smokers in several behavioural change strategies. Mobile health technology has made an immense contribution to contact tracing, screening, and tele-consultation during the Novel Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandaemic. Given that mHealth is a low cost, easily accessible, and widely available means of communication, it h...

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, 2014

Traditional dental care, which includes long-term oral hygiene maintenance and scheduled dental appointments, requires effective communication between dentists and patients. In this study, a new system was designed to provide a platform for direct communication between dentists and patients. Methods: A new mobile app, Dental Calendar, combined with cloud services specific for dental care was created by a team constituted by dentists, computer scientists, and service scientists. This new system would remind patients about every scheduled appointment, and help them take pictures of their own oral cavity parts that require dental treatment and send them to dentists along with a symptom description. Dentists, by contrast, could confirm or change appointments easily and provide professional advice to their patients immediately. In this study, 26 dentists and 32 patients were evaluated by a questionnaire containing eight dental-service items prior to and after using this system. Paired sample t test was used for statistical analysis. Results: After using the Dental Calendar combined with cloud services, dentists were able to improve appointment arrangements significantly, taking care of the patients with sudden worse prosthesis (p < 0.05). Patients also achieved significant improvement in appointment reminder systems, rearrangement of appointments in case of sudden worse prosthesis, and establishment of a direct relationship with dentists (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our new mobile app, Dental Calendar, in combination with cloud services, provides efficient service to both dentists and patients, and helps establish a better relationship Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Mobile health apps can contribute to increased quality of individual oral hygiene behaviors. This study provides an overview and an evaluation of quality of oral-hygiene-related mobile apps currently available in Google Play Store and the French Apple App. A shortlist of nine apps was assessed by 10 oral health professionals using the Mobile App Rating Scale. Intraclass correlation was used to evaluate interrater agreement. Best quality scores were obtained by Oral-B (3.4 ± 0.97), Colgate Connect (3.20 ± 0.63), and Preventeeth (3.10 ± 1.1) and worst ones by Mimizaur se brosse les dents (1.80 ± 0.79) and Kolibree (2.30 ± 0.82). The subjective quality scores ranged from 2.62 ± 0.61 (Oral-B) to 1.5 ± 0.61 (MSD). Specificity of the content ranged from 3.46 ± 0.84 (Preventeeth) to 1.78 ± 0.47 (Mimizaur se brosse les dents). Thus, even if oral health professionals positively evaluated the quality of oral-hygiene-related mobile apps, they are less assertive concerning their impact on the u...

Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 2018

To conduct a review of current mobile orthodontic apps available on Apple and Google Play stores in order to understand the integration of mobile app technology in orthodontic needs. The mobile orthodontic apps were searched on respective app stores of Apple and Google Play on two devices namely Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone up to 11/01/2018. English language apps directly related to orthodontics were included whereas general, dental, non-health, individual orthodontic practice, conference apps and non-English apps were excluded. Forty-nine apps met our review criteria. Nine apps on Apple, 22 apps on Google play stores and 18 apps in both stores. The apps are divided into clinician, clinician/patient and practise centred apps. The review highlights the need for developing educative tools that support the use of orthodontic apps which might have an impact on patient's health, compliance, financial and regulatory barriers. Professional groups, universities or developers in medical fields with access to updated information can create apps suiting the wider requirements of orthodontic care and management. The apps reviewed are effective and provide information and support to the patient yet lack certain features of interaction and fail to highlight the importance of orthodontic treatment.

Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Journal

Health care affordability, accessibility, availability, and quality have long been a major concern for humanity. It is the use of telecommunications and information technology for consultations, education, and public awareness, with the goal of improving patient care and time management. Teledentistry is a form of telemedicine that is used in the field of dentistry. It is beneficial in improving services to underserved people, such as those in rural or less developed areas. The recent spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused widespread public health concerns However, due to restrictions in movement, it was difficult for the patients to visit the clinics for routine check-ups. This was overcome by the advancements in technology like the introduction of the INTERNET OF DENTAL THINGS(IODT) which has a major impact on and has tremendously transformed teledentistry. Dental health app platforms usi...

Journal of the Irish Dental Association

There is an ever-increasing accessibility and availability of smartphone and mobile technology across society. The functionality of these 'bring your own devices' (BYODs) is vast, enabling a range of current media-rich communications between users. 1 From simple text messaging or image sharing (clinical photos and/or radiographs), to video conferencing, the intention of digital clinician communications is to improve patient care. 2 These technologies were widely adopted across healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic, when minimising in-person meetings led to the heightened use of BYODs and digital solutions to aid remote and efficient clinical communication between clinicians and their patients. 3 Clinical communications using BYODs have been the subject of a recent scoping Smartphone and mobile technology use among the dental profession Précis Technical support and digital professionalism training are required to facilitate the appropriate use of smartphone technology for dental clinicians practising in the Republic of Ireland.

Computational and structural biotechnology journal, 2016

The field of dentistry lacks satisfactory tools to help visualize planned procedures and their potential results to patients. Dentists struggle to provide an effective image in their patient&#39;s mind of the end results of the planned treatment only through verbal explanations. Thus, verbal explanations alone often cannot adequately help the patients make a treatment decision. Inadequate attempts are frequently made by dentists to sketch the procedure for the patient in an effort to depict the treatment. These attempts however require an artistic ability not all dentists have. Real case photographs are sometimes of help in explaining and illustrating treatments. However, particularly in implant cases, real case photographs are often ineffective and inadequate. The purpose of this study is to develop a mobile application with an effective user interface design to support the dentist-patient interaction by providing the patient with illustrative descriptions of the procedures and the...

Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 2020

Rise in the number of smartphone users have led to an increased development of smartphone applications. Advent of technology and increased awareness has led to an increased use of healthcare apps by both the physicians and patients. This study aims to provide an up to date review on applications related to Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (Oto-HNS). The smartphone applications were reviewed in May 2020 in Google play store and apple app store using relevant search words. We included apps relevant for physicians, students as well as patients. Apps providing alternative therapies and home remedies were excluded. A total of 619 apps were included with 352 apps from play store and 267 apps from apple store. Number of apps have remarkably increased in the last 2 years till May 2020, 63 apps were developed and last year 141 Oto-HNS apps were developed. Maximum number of apps were available in hearing aid category with 144 (23.2%) mobile hearing aids and 138 (22.2%) hearing aid control apps. 445 apps were available free of cost. Use of smartphone apps have increased dramatically in the last few years. However, their authenticity is still uncertain. Actual involvement of Otolaryngologist in app development is still rare. We recommend formation of scientific committees to regulate the apps development, to access apps quality and effectiveness before incorporated in clinical practice, medical education and patients use.