Teledentistry: The New Communication Approach in Dentistry (Term Paper Sample)

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Literature Review
The advancement of technology in dentistry improves communication between a physician and the patient. With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, most public hospitals seek to limit the number of patients visiting their facilities (Al-Khalifa & Alsheikh, 2020). Adopting modern forms of the technology enables patients to access quality oral healthcare without physically visiting a dentist (Irving et al., 2018). Telehealth approaches, therefore, remove the barrier between urban and rural communities aiding in the delivery of quality oral healthcare. Various researchers have put forward their arguments regarding telehealth and teledentistry and the feasibility of its application.
A recent systematic review conducted by Ghai (2020) shows that teledentistry is a game-changer in clinical practice, enabling seamless access to dental healthcare. Inhabitants of rural areas access various parts of the world have challenges accessing quality oral healthcare due to lack of resources and language barriers. However, the evolution of modern technology seeks to improve communication and patient outcomes. While investigating the impact of covid-19 in teledentistry, Ghai (2020) noted that the adoption of relevant technology is a novel solution to dental health access issues. However, Ghai (2020) was quick to note that even though teledentistry has been widely adopted because of the pandemic, there is a need to put adequate measures to guide, educate and support patients. The acceptance of teledentistry, especially among patients, is still a considerable challenge despite its positive outcomes within the profession.
Further, Mathivanan et al. (2020) examined the feasibility studies of teledentistry and its application in the future. Through a cross-sectional study, Mathivanan et al. (2020) sought to bridge the gap between rural and urban populations by carrying out a cross-sectional study to evaluate patients' perception of telehealth dentistry in India. The outcomes of this study are similar to those of Mathivanan et al. (2020) in part. 90% of the dentists who took part in this research noted that teledentistry is the future of practice, and proper structures should be put in place to enhance the smooth transition from the traditional approaches. In summary, teledentistry is becoming a new approach to communication in dentistry.
Rationale
The available studies on teledentistry are heavily focused on the applicability or feasibility of teledentistry. Mathivanan et al. (2020), for instance, carried out a cross-sectional study to determine the future of teledentistry. There are limited studies that review the possibility of using various forms of technology to translate languages to enhance communication between a dentist and a patient. A study by Dignity Health Care (2019) has incorporated voice recognition technologies such as google assistant, google home, and google translate in their operations. This study, therefore, seeks to fill this gap in research, examining whether Google Translate can be used to translate dental information into Spanish accurately. The aim of this research is to enable Spanish speakers in non-spanish speaking countries access to quality denstistry care by ensuring effcicient commnunication.