(TKP2021-EGA-23) Támogató: Innovációs és Technológiai Minisztérium
Introduction: Teledentistry (TD) can offer a wide range of possibilities in the field
of oral medicine. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are hard to detect,
and even harder to diagnose correctly. With the help of TD, OPMDs can be detected
and diagnosed by a remote specialist. Our aim was to investigate whether TD could
provide a reliable diagnostic method compared with clinical oral examination (COE)
in the diagnosis of OPMDs. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in three databases
(Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL) until November 2021. We included studies that compared
telediagnosis and COE, both made by experts. Pooled specificity and sensitivity were
calculated and visualized on a two-dimensional plot. Risk of bias was assessed using
the QUADAS-2 tool, and the level of evidence is shown with the Grades of Recommendation,
Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Results: Of the 7,608 studies,
13 were included in the qualitative and 9 in the quantitative synthesis. Using TD
tools in the detection of oral lesions (OLs) showed high specificity (0.92 confidence
interval [95% CI]?=?0.59?0.99) and sensitivity (0.93 95% CI?=?0.17?1.00). In the differential
diagnosis of lesions, we found high sensitivity and specificity (0.942 95% CI?=?0.826?0.982
and 0.982 95% CI?=?0.913?0.997), respectively. We summarized the available data on
time-effectiveness, screening person, referral decision, and technical settings. Conclusion:
Detecting OLs with TD tools might lead to earlier diagnosis, treatment, and stricter
follow-up of OPMD. TD may offer a great substitution for COE in the diagnosis of OLs,
and thus, fewer referrals could be made to special care, resulting in a greater number
of treated OPMDs.
