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

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic persists despite the ongoing mass immunization campaign, and there is a long journey ahead until effective control of the situation. 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. By definition, telemedicine means the use of information technology to improve health care by approximating professionals and patients in distant locations. 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.