MINI REVIEW article
Front. Oral Health
Sec. Oral Health Promotion
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1649715
Innovations on the Horizon: Teledentistry, Artificial Intelligence, and Hybrid Models to Improve Oral Health for Vulnerable Communities
Provisionally accepted
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
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Objectives: Vulnerable populations experience substantial challenges accessing dental care, leading to disproportionate oral health burdens. Digital solutions, such as teledentistry and artificial intelligence, offer new opportunities to improve access, quality and effectiveness of the care. Methods: This paper presents a narrative literature review incorporating findings from peer-reviewed journals, systematic reviews, and case studies retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2013-2024). Evidence was also synthesized using the artificial intelligence tool Elicit to include high-quality data on teledentistry, artificial intelligence and hybrid dental care models, focusing on their implementation and effectiveness. Studies were selected to address relevance for underserved populations and digital innovation in dental care delivery. Results: Teledentistry modalities, including e-consults and virtual dental homes, have demonstrate enhanced access and delivery of preventative care. Artificial intelligence tool provide accurate diagnoses, predict treatment needs, and streamline workflows. Hybrid models combining virtual screening with in-person treatment bridge care gaps and enhance continuity and efficiency, particularly for underserved populations. Conclusions: The integration of teledentistry, artificial intelligence and hybrid dental practice models offers a transformative approach to improving oral health care acces and equity. However, success will require investment, support and collaboration to scale these innovations effectively.
Keywords: Teledentistry, artificial intelligence, Dental Care, Oral Health, dental diagnostic
Received: 18 Jun 2025; Accepted: 29 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Drafta, Macris and Petre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Andrei Macris, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.