Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 14, Number 8 > Pp. 435-438

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RESEARCH Original articles

Email for distance diagnosis of oral diseases: a preliminary study of teledentistry

Cassius Torres-Pereira ^* , Renata Seleme Possebon , André Simões , Marcelo Carlos Bortoluzzi , Jair Carneiro Leão ^**, Allan Fernando Giovanini  and Cleto Mariosvaldo Piazetta 

^* Stomatology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba-PR; Private Practice, Curitiba-PR; Oral Health Department, Doutor Ulysses-PR; Stomatology Department, Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Joaçaba-SC; ^** Clinical and Preventative Dentistry Department, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife-PE; Oral Pathology Laboratory, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba-PR; Stomatology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba-PR, Brazil

Correspondence: Professor Cassius Torres-Pereira, Stomatology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Lothário Meissner 632, Jardim Botânico, Curitiba, Paraná 80.210-170, Brazil (Fax: +55 41 3233 2352; Email: cassius{at}ufpr.br)

We examined the feasibility of distance diagnosis of oral diseases, using transmission of digital images by email. Twenty-five cases of oral lesions were documented during a 12-month study in a primary care public health clinic in Paraná in Southern Brazil. Clinical electronic charts and images were produced and sent by email to two oral medicine specialists with a median of 10 years experience in the field. The consultants provided a maximum of two clinical hypotheses for each case. In 15 of the 25 cases (60%) both consultants made a correct diagnosis; in seven cases (28%) only one consultant made a correct diagnosis; and in three cases (12%) neither consultant made a correct diagnosis. Thus in 88% of cases, at least one consultant was able to provide the correct diagnosis. The results suggest that distant diagnosis can be an effective alternative in the diagnosis of oral lesions and that the using two distant consultants improves diagnostic accuracy. Primary care public health clinics may benefit from the use of email and digital cameras for telehealth in remote areas where oral medicine specialists are not available.

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