Insights into the digitalization of dental practices: A cross-sectional pilot study in Hesse

Aim: Although many fields of dentistry allow digital processes today, analog procedures are still widely used. The present cross-sectional pilot study aimed to provide insights into the digitalization of dental practices using the example of Hesse. Materials and methods: Between April and June 2022, 4840 active practicing dentists registered by the State Dental Association of Hesse were invited via email to fill out an online questionnaire regarding their technical requirements in dental practice, dental treatment procedures, and attitude toward digitalization in dentistry. Demographic questions were asked. Besides descriptive statistics, correlations were analyzed (P< 0.05). Results: Questionnaires of 937 dentists (279 females, 410 males, 4 inter/diverse, 244 no answers; mean age of 51.4 +/- 10.4 years) were examined, representing a response rate of 19.36%. In the area of practice administration and dental radiography, the majority of the dentists surveyed were already working digitally, which is predominantly assessed as a positive development. One third of the respondents stated that they already used an intraoral scanner for dental treatments, but for indications mainly limited to minor restorations. However, many dentists rated the use of social media accounts and telemedicine rather negatively. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this cross-sectional pilot study, it was shown that many dental treatments were still being performed by analog processes. However, 60% of the participants planned the digitalization of their dental practices within the next 5 years, which indicated a clear shift from analog to digital dentistry.