248 - Teledentistry Services in Pediatric Dentistry: perceived impact on potential access to care

Abstract:

Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined whether family/child characteristics were associated with willingness to use synchronous teledentistry across four pediatric dental scenarios (chipped tooth, tooth pain, first visit, follow‑up).


Methods: We used survey data from four pediatric dental clinic sites located in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and California from March to October 2025. The analytic sample included parents aged 18 years or older who accompanied their child to a dental visit and completed a survey in English or Spanish (N=216). The primary outcome was parent willingness to use synchronous teledentistry (yes/no). Covariates included parent telehealth experience, parent education, parent travel time to clinic, parent-reported child oral health status, parent race/ethnicity, and parent telehealth experience. Logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of parent willingness to use synchronous teledentistry.


Results: Parents were willing to use synchronous teledentistry for an initial dental visit (80.9%), follow up (80.3%), a chipped tooth (75.7%), and tooth pain (49.1%). In adjusted models, children with poor oral health were significantly more likely to have parents willing to use synchronous teledentistry for an initial dental visit (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.20–12.08; P</em>=0.024) and a follow‑up visit (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.24–9.54; P</em>=0.018) than those with excellent or very good oral hygiene. Race/ethnicity showed scenario-specific differences. Parent education, travel time, and parent telehealth experience were not statistically significant predictors across scenarios.


Conclusion: Perceived clinical need may increase the acceptability of teledentistry. Race/ethnicity-associated differences varied by scenario, indicating that teledentistry implementation may require tailored engagement strategies across visit types and populations.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: None