Gryglewska B, Perera I, Klimek E, Fedyk-Łukasik M, Piotrowicz K, Mocanu I, Muntianu L,
Gąsowski J. Teledentistry and oral health in older adults - aspects for implementation of the "Patient
centric solution for smart and sustainable healthcare (ACESO)" project. Folia Med Cracov.
2022;62(2):5-16. doi: 10.24425/fmc.2022.141697. PMID: 36256891.
Nov 23, 2022
Dissemination of the rationale and main ideas behind the project nationally and
internationally through publication in the PubMed(R) indexed journal.
Oral health and diseases are significant components of general health. However,
oral health care remains at the lowest of older patients' priorities. The inability to obtain dental care can
result in the progression of dental disease, leading to a diminished quality of life and overall health.
Teledentistry (TD) provides an opportunity to improve the quality of oral health services. Our narrative review aimed to analyze the usefulness of teledentistry as a part of telemedicine to improve oral
health in the elderly. Materials/Methods: The PubMed database search was done for teledentistry, oral
health, oral- health-related diseases, elderly, and older adults. The applicability of TD has been
demonstrated in children and older adults. Older adults have many obstacles in getting oral health
care, including low income, lack of health insurance, frailty, anxiety, depression, mobility problems, or other
handicaps. Available data suggests TD's usefulness in providing oral care in elderly
people living in residential aged care facilities. Moreover, TD procedures were as accurate
as traditional face-to-face dental examinations. They were cost-effective and well-accepted among
patients and caregivers. TD might be a valuable tool for professional education, improving access, and patient satisfaction with dental care. However, such TD modes would be challenging to implement widely in community-dwelling older people who cannot access dental care. The ongoing
"Patient-centric solution for smart