A national teledentistry study on the knowledge, attitudes, training and practices of private dentists.

Objectives: Nationally examine the self-perceived knowledge, attitudes and practices of TeleDentistry (TD) among dentists in private practice in France.

Methods: A descriptive questionnaire-based survey was conducted nationwide from 10 November 2020 to 13 December 2020. The national scale survey was both anonymous and voluntary and was sent by the National Board of Dentists to 42,464 private dentists that were officially registered in France. The questionnaire included 36 questions divided into various sections: (i) general profile (gender, age range, and university, where respondents completed their dental studies), (ii) general knowledge of telemedicine, and (iii) familiarity with current regulations on telemedicine and activities that qualify as telemedicine.

Results: Only 57.1% of dentists in private practice stated that they had never heard nor knew about TD (n=2,887). Only 1.5% (n=76) stated they had attended a training module on telemedicine and/or TD during their studies at university. Only 1.3% (n=26) of dentists who practised a TD activity stated that they knew about telemedicine regulations. Only 65.7% (n=2,020) of those who had never practised and 74.8% (n=1,485) who had practised TD acknowledged that they would like to practice TD.

Conclusions: In conclusion, this study found a significant need for TD education and training as well as on regulations. It may be necessary in the future to ensure that all stakeholders in the field of dentistry work together to improve these two topics for dental practitioners. It is also worth noting that TD and telemedicine are public health tools and that they could provide inequitable access to medical care. However, TD must be implemented to decrease inequality and ensure it does not do the opposite.