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Technologies on Behalf of the Dentistry Dissemination in Pandemic Times: An Interinstitutional Experience

Dear Editor,

The COVID-19 pandemic persists despite the ongoing mass immunization campaign, and there is a long journey ahead until effective control of the situation. On that account, health services and educational systems have suffered significant impacts, leading several countries to resume their activities — such as teaching, primary health care, and academic activities — in a “new normal” scenario and under strict biosafety protocols [11 Khan N, Jones D, Grice A, Alderson S, Bradley S, Carder P, et al. A brave new world: the new normal for general practice after the COVID-19 pandemic. BJGP Open 2020; 4(3):bjgpopen20Xl01103. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20Xl01103
https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20Xl0110...
, 22 Gelfand JM, Hefele BE. Clinical Research after COVID-19: Embracing a new normal. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 14l(3):481-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2020.08.004
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2020.08.00...
]. Consequently, information technologies are essential for primary health care and education [33 Science. Telemedicine takes center stage in the era of COVID-19. 2020. Available from: https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2020/11/telemedicine-takes-center-stage-era-covid-19; 2020. [Accessed on May 30, 2021].
https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2020...
, 44 Cohen E, Cohen MI. COVID-19 will forever change the landscape of telemedicine. Curr Opin Cardiol 2021; 36(1): 110-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000806
https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.000000000000...
].

In Brazil, telemedicine has grown widely. After the initial adaptation process during the first pandemic year, remote teaching and teleconsultation/telemonitoring have consolidated such technology [55 Santana LADM, Santos MALD, Albuquerque HIM, Costa SFDS, Rezende-Silva E, Gercina AC, et al. Teledentistry in Brazil: a viable alternative during COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200082. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720200082
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54972020008...
, 66 Machado RA, de Souza NL, Oliveira RM, Martelli Júnior H, Bonan PRF. Social media and telemedicine for oral diagnosis and counselling in the COVID-19 era. Oral Oncol 2020; 105:104685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104685
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2...
]. By definition, telemedicine means the use of information technology to improve health care by approximating professionals and patients in distant locations [77 Carrard VC, Martins MA, Molina-Bastos CG, Gonçalves MR. WhatsApp: a telemedicine platform for facilitating remote oral medicine consultation and improving clinical examinations-some considerations. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2017; 123(3):408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.228
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.2...
]. However, despite the acceptance in several health areas, dentists have rejected this new approach, claiming that telemedicine lacks the power to attract patients’ attention.

To refute wrongly conceived theories and demonstrate the effectiveness of these resources, we described our experiences concerning dental and multidisciplinary residency education in two states (Sergipe and Paraíba) in the northeast region of Brazil, one of the most affected by the pandemic. Besides, we share positive results obtained during this period that reinforce the effectiveness of this technology as an alternative to face-to-face consultation/teaching in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Brazil, superior education institutions have adopted remote teaching using various digital platforms, such as Google Meet and Zoom. Despite the well-intentioned — and necessary — initiative, we have observed that such an experience can be discouraging and exhausting for students, graduates, and professors.

Considering this scenario of limitations and challenges, we opted for maintaining the activities through online classes (Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe State, Brazil). Subjects, such as oral medicine, oral pathology, and anesthesiology, have consisted of clinical cases discussion besides a mobile application utilization (Dental simulator, Microsoft ®), which serves as an auxiliary instrument for teaching anesthetic techniques (Figure 1).

Figure 1
Exhibition of interactive game to practice local anesthesia using a virtual model. (a) and (b) – Software presentation; (c) and (d) - Intraoral anesthetic techniques; (e) and (f) - Anatomical structures and key injection sites.

Also, seeking to overcome the difficulties of adhering to the new methodologies, we have focused on student’s motivation. As a result, the students’ engagement in activities and perception of online classes can be considered satisfactory. Thus, it is possible to say that, with proper methodologies, online classrooms and online resources may cooperate with traditional learning, even after the resumption of face-to-face teaching.

For example, the application of dental anesthesia is a procedure with a high failure rate. The program accurately evaluated the technical abilities of the “players” through proper handling of the syringe and knowledge of the infiltration site.

Another practical application of this resource is in graduate courses with face-to-face practical activities. Additionally, in several multidisciplinary residencies, since the COVID-19 outbreak, weekly meetings have occurred through videoconference. The dental residence graduate students of UNIFIP (University Center of Patos, Patos, Paraíba State, Brazil) have experienced this reality (Figure 2): they share practical activities, present clinical case seminars, and discuss research ideas.

Figure 2
Monitoring the Dental Residency team of the University Center of Patos during weekly meetings to discuss tasks.

This teaching-learning relationship has narrowed over this period, and all team has effectively fulfilled the goals, including dental assistance, reception in health posts, and screening of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. This telemonitoring, consequently, allowed the continuity of activities and professional training. Similarly, positive experiences are present in the country’s southern region through the EstomatoNet Program, a feasible and robust specific telediagnosis service, and the “WhatsApp Teledentistry” for teleconsultation in oral medicine, intensified by the pandemic [55 Santana LADM, Santos MALD, Albuquerque HIM, Costa SFDS, Rezende-Silva E, Gercina AC, et al. Teledentistry in Brazil: a viable alternative during COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200082. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720200082
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54972020008...
, 66 Machado RA, de Souza NL, Oliveira RM, Martelli Júnior H, Bonan PRF. Social media and telemedicine for oral diagnosis and counselling in the COVID-19 era. Oral Oncol 2020; 105:104685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104685
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2...
, 77 Carrard VC, Martins MA, Molina-Bastos CG, Gonçalves MR. WhatsApp: a telemedicine platform for facilitating remote oral medicine consultation and improving clinical examinations-some considerations. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2017; 123(3):408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.228
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.2...
].

Telemedicine, lastly, serves as a boosting tool, stimulating innovation in healthcare and higher education and improving service quality by demanding professionals' continuous technical and methodological updates. Thus, despite all barriers, telemedicine is advocated as a promising technology during this period, overcoming old dilemmas and starting Brazilian dentistry in the age of telecommunications.

References

  • 1
    Khan N, Jones D, Grice A, Alderson S, Bradley S, Carder P, et al. A brave new world: the new normal for general practice after the COVID-19 pandemic. BJGP Open 2020; 4(3):bjgpopen20Xl01103. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20Xl01103
    » https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen20Xl01103
  • 2
    Gelfand JM, Hefele BE. Clinical Research after COVID-19: Embracing a new normal. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 14l(3):481-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2020.08.004
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2020.08.004
  • 3
    Science. Telemedicine takes center stage in the era of COVID-19. 2020. Available from: https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2020/11/telemedicine-takes-center-stage-era-covid-19; 2020. [Accessed on May 30, 2021].
    » https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2020/11/telemedicine-takes-center-stage-era-covid-19
  • 4
    Cohen E, Cohen MI. COVID-19 will forever change the landscape of telemedicine. Curr Opin Cardiol 2021; 36(1): 110-5. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000806
    » https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000806
  • 5
    Santana LADM, Santos MALD, Albuquerque HIM, Costa SFDS, Rezende-Silva E, Gercina AC, et al. Teledentistry in Brazil: a viable alternative during COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Bras Epidemiol 2020; 23:e200082. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720200082
    » https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720200082
  • 6
    Machado RA, de Souza NL, Oliveira RM, Martelli Júnior H, Bonan PRF. Social media and telemedicine for oral diagnosis and counselling in the COVID-19 era. Oral Oncol 2020; 105:104685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104685
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104685
  • 7
    Carrard VC, Martins MA, Molina-Bastos CG, Gonçalves MR. WhatsApp: a telemedicine platform for facilitating remote oral medicine consultation and improving clinical examinations-some considerations. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2017; 123(3):408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.228
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oooo.2016.09.228

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    17 Apr 2023
  • Date of issue
    2023

History

  • Received
    08 Nov 2021
  • Reviewed
    20 Dec 2021
  • Accepted
    05 Feb 2022
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