Facilitators and barriers to the adoption of teledentistry in Saudi Arabia from the care providers' perspectives. A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Teledentistry has emerged as a tool that holds great potential to enhance access, efficiency, and continuity of oral healthcare delivery. In Saudi Arabia, its adoption is important in the context of the health transformation programme and Vision 2030, in addition to the high prevalence of dental caries, especially among schoolchildren. Despite this potential, adoption is still limited. In this context, there is a need to systematically assess the factors influencing its adoption from the care providers’ perspectives. Objectives: This review aimed to systematically identify the facilitators and barriers to the adoption of teledentistry in Saudi Arabia, with the focus on the perception of dental care providers and dental students. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 with narrative synthesis based on SWiM guidelines. PubMed, SCOPUS, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched, covering publications up to 4th July 2025. The PICO framework was used to define the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the CASP checklist was used to assess study quality. Data were synthesised using vote counting by direction of effect, categorising findings into facilitators and barriers. Results: After screening 156 records, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Study quality ranged from 7-11/11 based on the CASP checklist for cross-sectional studies. Key findings included facilitators such as improved access, efficiency and cost-effectiveness, communication and referral enhancements, educational benefits, and positive perception of technology. The key barriers were limited awareness and training, infrastructure and equipment reliability, privacy and data security, cost and financial issues, diagnostic accuracy, and the preference for in-person meetings. Conclusion: Teledentistry holds great potential, but its adoption is still limited in Saudi Arabia. Addressing the challenges that hinder adoption and empowering the facilitators that support it is important to ensure successful adoption. Improving infrastructure, enhancing training and integration into dental curricula, and strengthening regulatory frameworks are essential to ensure equitable adoption.

Teledentistry holds great potential to enhance accessibility to oral healthcare, improve clinical workflows, and reduce the time and efforts of providing care. However, as with any technological innovation, challenges and limitations exist. Issues such as diagnostic accuracy, data security, resistance from both patients and providers, and the absence of regulatory frameworks must be addressed to facilitate the full implementation and integration of teledentistry into oral healthcare, ultimately enhancing dental care delivery. This literature review critically examines these challenges and the broader context of teledentistry, highlighting that its integration into dental education and the development of standardised frameworks could increase trust in its diagnostic reliability, enable safer utilisation, and improve the overall effectiveness of dental care delivery.