Assessing the Utilisation of TELedentistry from Perspectives of Early Career Dental Practitioners: Development of the UTEL Questionnaire

Teledentistry has allowed for the provision of dental care remotely. It has benefitted people living in regional, rural and remote communities. The use of teledentistry rapidly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimise transmission risk while still allowing for the provision of care, especially during mandated lockdowns. This study aims to pilot and assess the validity of a questionnaire developed to understand early career dental practitioners’ opinions regarding teledentistry in Australia. Registered early career dental practitioners currently working in Australia were invited to participate. Participants were asked to respond to a series of questions regarding teledentistry on themes containing diagnosis, accessibility, patient care, technology and finances. In addition, participants were asked for feedback upon the conclusion of the questionnaire. A total of 23 dental practitioners (60% female, age range 20–34) participated in this study. Work experiences ranged from 0–10 years. A total of 18 participants worked in metropolitan areas, while five worked in regional areas. All participants used teledentistry for approximately 1–9 hours per week. Over 82% of participants believed that telehealth was effective for consultations, and over 90% believed it was more convenient than face-to-face consultations. However, over 78% believed teledentistry was ineffective for diagnosing complex dental cases. Over 95% of participants believed that teledentistry improved patient healthcare access and was beneficial during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All participants believed that teledentistry was a useful tool for post-operative care, and over 86% of participants felt that patients accepted teledentistry. This questionnaire effectively determines the utilisation of teledentistry during a global pandemic from the perspective of early career dental practitioners.