Policy & media Policy and advocacy Reports The role of teledentistry in enabling improved oral care outcomes This expert opinion paper explores how teledentistry can help expand access to dental services worldwide, particularly in developing and emerging countries. Produced by a global taskforce convened by the Oral Health Foundation and Unilever, it reviews current evidence and outlines the practical role remote dental services can play in improving care delivery. This report: Highlights how teledentistry can improve access to dental professionals in rural, remote, and underserved communities. Explains how remote services can support education, early detection of disease, referrals, treatment planning, and patient compliance. Shows how teledentistry can help address inequalities in access to care, especially for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Outlines how virtual models of care can reduce travel, lower costs for patients and clinics, and make services more efficient. Examines workforce challenges, including the uneven distribution of dentists, and how digital approaches can help maximise limited resources. Provides real-world examples, including large-scale initiatives in Indonesia and Vietnam aimed at making dental care more accessible and affordable. The paper also considers the wider global challenge, with billions of people still unable to access dental care, and discusses how teledentistry could form an important part of future service delivery. Access the full guideline here Other resources: Infographic: The key barriers to accessing oral healthcare in developing nations Infographic: Three ways teledentistry can provide a solution to the barriers to dental access Manage Cookie Preferences