Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 62, Issue 2, March–April 2017, Pages 73-74
Dental Abstracts

The Big Picture
Mid-level practitioners and teledentistry

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2016.12.002Get rights and content

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Background

As in many countries, most of the dentists in Australia work in the private sector and are largely found in major cities. Dentists overall tend to shun rural settings because they offer low reimbursements, lack continuing education opportunities, and can have negative implications for family life. The resulting maldistribution of the dental workforce leaves many communities underserved. Often the lack of access to dental care is a contributor to the poor oral health. Countries have adopted

Methods

A review of the current literature related to the use of teledentistry and MLDPs in the dental workforce was conducted of the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases.

Results

The scope of practice for DTs in Australia (Table 1) includes examining, diagnosing, and developing and providing treatment plans for children. They are also responsible for referring those needing oral treatment that exceeds their scope of practice. These practitioners are registered with the Dental Board of Australia and have completed an accredited bachelor program of study in dental therapy and dental hygiene. Their 3-year curricula are delivered at various universities, many of which offer

Discussion

DTs tend to be recruited from the rural communities where they serve because students with a rural background are more likely to return to their roots. Thus the recruitment of more rural students should be pursued.

Teledentistry provides support, consultation, and access to continuing education for dental providers in rural areas. Supervision by a dentist using teledentistry offers a reliable way to ensure competent, safe dental care is being provided. In the future, telemedicine may support

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Estai M, Kruger E, Tennant M: Role of telemedicine and mid-level dental providers in expanding dental-care access: Potential application in rural Australia. Int Dent J 66:195-200, 2016

Reprints available from E Kruger, International Research Collaborative, Oral Health and Equity, Dept of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The Univ of Western Australia (M309), 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; e-mail: [email protected]

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