Digital oral health: teledentistry, remote monitoring and patient apps – what works

By Sakhr A. Murshid Al-Kubati, PhD · Updated 2026-10-20 · Educational, not medical advice

“Digital oral health” covers several things: teledentistry (remote consultation, screening and advice), remote monitoring of treatment using photos or scans, and patient apps and text messages that support brushing, diet and appointment attendance. Here is what the evidence says.

Where WHO stands

WHO's Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030 states that digital health technologies should be examined for their potential role in delivering accessible, effective oral health promotion and essential oral health care, and may improve remote access and consultation for early detection and referral. It also warns that these benefits need to be balanced against digital exclusion and data-protection challenges [1].

Together with the International Telecommunication Union, WHO has published Mobile technologies for oral health: an implementation guide (the “mOralHealth” handbook, part of the Be He@lthy Be Mobile initiative). It gives guidance on using mobile technologies to promote oral health, train health workers, detect oral health conditions, collect epidemiological data and monitor the quality of care [2].

Teledentistry: promising, but evidence is still maturing

• A qualitative systematic review of 39 studies concluded that teledentistry is a viable option for remote screening, diagnosis, consultation, treatment planning and mentoring, with high acceptability among clinicians and patients. It also noted that paying the advising clinicians is critical to sustainability [3].
• A systematic review of controlled studies included only 11 of 385 publications. It found the most convincing evidence of efficacy in paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and oral medicine, and suggested teleconsultation can be cost-saving. But it concluded there is not yet enough conclusive evidence on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and long-term use for evidence-based policy decisions [4].
• A 2024 umbrella review of 10 systematic reviews reached a similar conclusion: there is not yet enough evidence on long-term clinical effectiveness, and the cost-saving conclusions rested on assumptions. The included reviews were of critically low quality by AMSTAR-2 criteria [5].

Remote monitoring

Remote monitoring tools let patients send photos or scans of their teeth from home so the clinician can follow treatment. One example in our directory is DentalMonitoring, which received an FDA De Novo grant for software that analyses pictures of the oral cavity to help healthcare professionals remotely monitor orthodontic treatment. Its indications state it is an aid in diagnosis and monitoring [6].

Patient apps and messaging

• In orthodontic patients, a systematic review of 16 controlled trials found that interventions using mobile apps and social media improved gingival and plaque indexes, but not bleeding on probing. The authors rated the overall evidence from very low to moderate [7].
• App quality varies. A systematic search of caries-prevention apps found that only 40 of 562 met the inclusion criteria, half addressed just one prevention behaviour, and the mean quality score was 2.9 out of 5 on the Mobile App Rating Scale [8].

What this means in practice

• Digital tools work best as a complement to in-person care, especially for follow-up, triage and reaching people in remote areas, not as a replacement for examination.
• Choose tools with published evaluation, clear data protection (GDPR in the EU) and, where they make clinical claims, a verifiable regulatory status.
• Plan for people who are less digitally connected so that digital services do not widen inequalities, as WHO cautions [1].

Sources

1. World Health Organization. Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030. 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240090538
2. World Health Organization, International Telecommunication Union. Mobile technologies for oral health: an implementation guide. 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240035225
3. Irving M, Stewart R, Spallek H, Blinkhorn A. Using teledentistry in clinical practice as an enabler to improve access to clinical care: A qualitative systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2018;24(3):129-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X16686776
4. Estai M, Kanagasingam Y, Tennant M, Bunt S. A systematic review of the research evidence for the benefits of teledentistry. J Telemed Telecare. 2018;24(3):147-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X16689433
5. Scheerman JFM, et al. A Systematic Umbrella Review of the Effects of Teledentistry on Costs and Oral-Health Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024;21(4):407. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040407
6. US FDA. De Novo DEN230035 – DentalMonitoring. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/denovo.cfm?id=DEN230035
7. Al-Moghrabi D, et al. The influence of mobile applications and social media-based interventions in producing behavior change among orthodontic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2022;161(3):338-354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2021.09.009
8. Chen R, et al. Mobile Apps for Dental Caries Prevention: Systematic Search and Quality Evaluation. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021;9(1):e19958. https://doi.org/10.2196/19958