Work

Evaluating Maternal Accuracy in Smartphone‐Based Tele‐Dentistry for Early Childhood Caries Detection

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a public health challenge, leading to long-term dental problems and costs. Limited access to preventive care underscores the need for innovative screening methods. Tele-dentistry, using smartphone-based imaging, offers a scalable solution for ECC detection and intervention. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the accuracy of maternal smartphone-based ECC assessments compared to professional evaluations as a reliable screening tool. METHODS: A cross-sectional-study recruited 114 mother-child pairs from primary healthcare centers in Tehran province, Iran. Mothers received online training and conducted visual and smartphone-based caries assessments. Two blinded pediatric dentists remotely reviewed images, with findings compared to in-person dental examinations. Sensitivity, specificity, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated. RESULTS: The mean child age was 4.8 ± 0.9 years with 56.1% boys and 43.9% girls. Mothers had a mean age of 33.2 ± 5.6 years with 55% having a high school diploma or higher. Maternal assessments identified caries in 49/58 cases (84.5%), while pediatric dentists detected 51/58 cases (87.9%). Maternal assessments showed 100% sensitivity and specificity, with strong agreement with professional evaluations (ICC = 0.909-0.988, p < 0.0001). The three methods demonstrated near-perfect concordance (ICC = 0.978, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Maternal-assisted tele-dentistry is a reliable, accessible screening method for ECC, improving early intervention, especially in low resources settings and underserved communities.

Source: Clinical and Experimental Dental Research

DOI: 10.1002/cre2.70231

Authors: Parastoo Iranparvar, Zahra Ghorbani, Sajjad Zandieh, Serlie Hartoonian, Mohsen Shirazi

Institutions: Shahid Beheshti University, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Dental Health and Care Utilization

Subfield: Periodontics

Field: Dentistry

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,440