Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39679686›Full record

ArticleAustralian dental journal2025

The validity of teledentistry examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sydney, Australia.

T Mahony, A George, S G Kezhekkekara, A Villarosa, C Friel, A Yaacoub

Abstract readValidation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Australian dental journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

T MahonyNepean Centre for Oral Health, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1131-3366
A GeorgeAustralian Centre for Integration of Oral Health (ACIOH), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
S G KezhekkekaraAustralian Centre for Integration of Oral Health (ACIOH), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0009-0008-0225-6989
A VillarosaAustralian Centre for Integration of Oral Health (ACIOH), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
C FrielNepean Centre for Oral Health, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
A YaacoubNepean Centre for Oral Health, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

Nepean Blue Mountain Local Health District
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, non-urgent dental treatments were deferred. To identify and prioritize urgent dental patients, teledentistry was implemented across NSW public dental services. This study aimed to establish the validity of teledentistry examinations to provide a clinical diagnosis compared to face-to-face, clinical examination.

methodsA retrospective review using convenience sampling was used to source clinical data from a public dental service for two periods in 2020 and 2021. Researchers compared the diagnoses identified from teledentistry consultations with follow-up face-to-face consultations, diagnoses were grouped into 14 sub-categories that broadly covered common oral health conditions and pathologies. Sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were calculated.

resultsThe study included 1965 patients who underwent teledentistry followed by face-to-face consultations, with a mean age of 47.79 ± 21.92 years. Teledentistry showed high specificity ranging from 74.08% to 99.95% while the sensitivity ranged from 18.75% to 100%. The highest specificity (99.90%) was noted for diagnosing orthodontic concerns. The lowest specificity was observed for irreversible pulpal diseases at 74.08%.

conclusionTeledentistry has a role in public dental services, diagnosing various dental conditions and identifying patient acuity. It can provide patients with oral health information/advice and ensures effective use of emergency appointments within public dental services.

Indexed as

COVID-19TelemedicineAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNew South WalesPandemicsReproducibility of ResultsRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Sensitivity and Specificityconsultationscorona virusCOVID‐19dental treatmentdiagnosesmodel of careoral healthSARS‐CoV2sensitivityspecificityteledentistryTelehealth

Identifiers

PMID39679686
PMCPMC12166290

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.