Oral health promotion via teledentistry for homebound and bed-ridden patients in Thailand: case reports exploring feasibility and user satisfaction

Abstract

Evidence on teledentistry for oral health promotion in developing countries remains limited. This report presents a series of case reports from a pilot teledentistry programme implemented for homebound and bed-ridden patients in Thayang District, Phetchaburi, Thailand. Twenty-three patients (mean age 74.2 years; range 57–92) who were registered under the local home-visit service participated in the programme. These cases illustrate how teledentistry was incorporated into routine care to support oral health assessment, education, and follow-up.

Of the 23 cases, 20 patients (87%) successfully used the Teledent system with assistance from caregivers, village health volunteers, dental hygienists, or independently. Pre- and post-test oral health education results showed improvement across all three oral-condition groups, although the tests were descriptive and used solely to support case documentation. User satisfaction was high, with an average score of 6.49 out of 7 on the Thai Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (T-TUQ). The most common challenges reported were technical limitations and unfamiliarity with the technology.

These case reports demonstrate that teledentistry can be feasibly integrated into routine home-visit services to enhance oral health promotion for homebound and bed-ridden patients. The findings highlight practical considerations for implementation and suggest that teledentistry may be a promising supplementary approach in underserved settings.