Background: The usage of information technology and telecommunications for dental care is known as Teledentistry. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitude of teledentistry among undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate dental students in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduate dental students. A Structured, self-administered, and close-ended questionnaire was administered to dental students (n=240). The knowledge, awareness, and attitude towards teledentistry were assessed using a 19 items questionnaire with yes/no responses. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were applied to the data. Statistical significance was determined at p-value <0.05.
Results: A total of 240 dental students completed the survey. About 92.3% of postgraduates, 44.5% of undergraduates, and 69.2% of graduates responded to the statement "Can teledentistry be applied in any branch of dentistry? This was statistically significant (P<0.001). About 33.3% of dental students were aware that" teledentistry is practiced in Saudi Arabia; however, 66.6% of the participants disagreed, and the majority (74.5%) of them were undergraduates. About 84.6% of postgraduates and 76.9% of graduates showed interest in teledentistry training (P=0.001).
Conclusion: Postgraduate and graduate dental students demonstrated higher knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards teledentistry than undergraduate dental students.
