Designing a Teledentistry Service Model for Remote Communities in Plateau State

Teledentistry offers a platform for extending diagnostic and advisory dental services to geographically isolated communities in Nigeria where physical dental services are absent, and designing an appropriate service model for Plateau State addresses a significant access gap. This study designed a teledentistry service model for remote communities in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A professional model development methodology was applied, drawing on connectivity infrastructure assessment in five remote LGAs (Shendam, Wase, Qua'an Pan, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi), structured consultations with 16 community health workers, 8 dental officers, and 6 telemedicine specialists, and review of WHO teledentistry implementation guidelines and comparable African telemedicine dental models. Connectivity assessment confirmed 3G mobile network coverage in 72 percent of targeted communities. The model designed specifies a store-and-forward consultation approach using a WhatsApp-based image and clinical note submission protocol, a trained community health worker dental image capture protocol using standardised intraoral photography techniques, a centralised dental officer review and advisory response system, a clear emergency escalation pathway with GPS-mapped referral routes, and monthly performance reporting. Pilot feasibility testing over 4 weeks confirmed patient acceptability and health worker ease of protocol use. Expert review by ten teledentistry and mHealth specialists confirmed the model's technical and clinical soundness. Recommendations include a 6-month pilot implementation in Shendam LGA with formal process and outcome evaluation before state-wide rollout.

Keywords: teledentistry, remote communities, Plateau State, mHealth, dental access