Practical application of teledentistry in orthodontic patients during the Covid-19 pandemic: a narrative review

Abstract

Aim: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 infection has been an unusual plummet in dentistry. Various measures were adopted to slow or halt the spread of COVID-19. Many countries suspended activities that are deemed “non-essential.” Several dental procedures fall into this category, and only emergencies that cannot be postponed are still allowed. Therefore, followup visits for active orthodontic treatment should be treated with special new standard precautions. This review aims to reduce orthodontic treatment appointments by providing an overview of the available methods and their purpose in patient monitoring, i.e., teleorthodontic. Methods: A total of 5 articles demonstrating the practical application of teledentistry including teleorthodontic were included. Result: Most emergencies can be handled via teleorthodontics, which can reassure and follow patients from afar. Teleorthodontics achieved its goal of reducing patient visits while keeping regular monitoring without sacrificing results. Conclusion: Teleorthodontics can handle most emergencies assist and follow up patients remotely while at their homes. It can reduce the number of patient visits while maintaining regular monitoring without compromising the results of orthodontics treatment. These findings still need further development in efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and long-term outcomes, but we believe teleorthodontics plays an essential role during the COVID-19 outbreaks.

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