OBJECTIVES: To overcome challenges in the implementation of electronic dental record systems in a low-resource setting, it is crucial to know the level of users’ satisfaction with the existing system of paper-based dental records and their perceptions of electronic dental records. METHODS: A cross-sectional paper-based questionnaire survey was conducted among Myanmar dental professionals who worked in one of two teaching hospitals or in private dental clinics. Descriptive data were analyzed and regression analysis was carried out to identify factors influencing perceptions of electronic dental records. RESULTS: Most dental professionals (>60%) were satisfied with just three out of six aspects of paper-based dental records (familiarity, flexibility, and portability). In addition, generalized positive perceptions were found among decision makers towards electronic dental records, and 86% of dentists indicated that they were willing to use them. Financial concerns were identified as the most important barrier to the implementation of electronic dental records among dentists who were not willing to use the proposed system. CONCLUSIONS: The first step towards implementing electronic dental records in Myanmar should be improvement of the content and structure of paper-based dental records, especially in private dental clinics. Utilization of appropriate open-source electronic dental record software in private dental clinics is recommended to address perceived issues around financial barriers. For the long term, we recommend providing further education and training in health informatics to healthcare professionals to facilitate the efficient use of electronic dental record software in Myanmar in the future.
Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Clinics ; Dental Records* ; Dentists ; Education ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Informatics ; Myanmar* ; Pliability

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the functional characteristics of hardware and software in Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) in dental hospitals and examined the impact of the functional characteristics on user satisfaction, ease of use, and usefulness of PACS. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on dentists at 20 dental hospitals. The dentists assessed the functional characteristics of PACS, and also evaluated the outcomes of PACS use such as user satisfaction, ease of use, and usefulness. For each outcome variable, regression analysis was performed to determine the significant functional characteristics influencing each outcome variable. RESULTS: The image quality of device and the diagnosis-supporting function served as the most important factors in user satisfaction. Experience of the PACS system was correlated with ease of use. Dentists specialized in oral maxillofacial surgery evaluated PACS very useful, and intention to participation in education in the future showed significant correlation with usefulness. The more experience of using PACS system and concern about education, the higher usefulness for the system. CONCLUSIONS: This study has significance in that it can be used as reference for constructing high-efficiency system in dental hospitals adopting the PACS system and also in companies producing the system.
Consumer Satisfaction ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dental Informatics ; Dentists ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Intention ; Surgery, Oral

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a workstation computer that allowed intraoperative touchless control of diagnostic and surgical images by a surgeon, and to report the preliminary experience with the use of the system in a series of cases in which dental surgery was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A custom workstation with a new motion sensing input device (Leap Motion) was set up in order to use a natural user interface (NUI) to manipulate the imaging software by hand gestures. The system allowed intraoperative touchless control of the surgical images. RESULTS: For the first time in the literature, an NUI system was used for a pilot study during 11 dental surgery procedures including tooth extractions, dental implant placements, and guided bone regeneration. No complications were reported. The system performed very well and was very useful. CONCLUSION: The proposed system fulfilled the objective of providing touchless access and control of the system of images and a three-dimensional surgical plan, thus allowing the maintenance of sterile conditions. The interaction between surgical staff, under sterile conditions, and computer equipment has been a key issue. The solution with an NUI with touchless control of the images seems to be closer to an ideal. The cost of the sensor system is quite low; this could facilitate its incorporation into the practice of routine dental surgery. This technology has enormous potential in dental surgery and other healthcare specialties.
Bone Regeneration ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Implants ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Gestures* ; Hand ; Medical Informatics Computing ; Pilot Projects ; Surgery, Oral ; Tooth Extraction ; User-Computer Interface

OBJECTIVES: In this study, a clinical decision support system was developed to help general practitioners assess the need for orthodontic treatment in patients with permanent dentition. METHODS: We chose a Bayesian network (BN) as the underlying model for assessing the need for orthodontic treatment. One thousand permanent dentition patient data sets chosen from a hospital record system were prepared in which one data element represented one participant with information for all variables and their stated need for orthodontic treatment. To evaluate the system, we compared the assessment results based on the judgements of two orthodontists to those recommended by the decision support system. RESULTS: In a BN decision support model, each variable is modelled as a node, and the causal relationship between two variables may be represented as a directed arc. For each node, a conditional probability table is supplied that represents the probabilities of each value of this node, given the conditions of its parents. There was a high degree of agreement between the two orthodontists (kappa value = 0.894) in their diagnoses and their judgements regarding the need for orthodontic treatment. Also, there was a high degree of agreement between the decision support system and orthodontists A (kappa value = 1.00) and B (kappa value = 0.894). CONCLUSIONS: The study was the first testing phase in which the results generated by the proposed system were compared with those suggested by expert orthodontists. The system delivered promising results; it showed a high degree of accuracy in classifying patients into groups needing and not needing orthodontic treatment.
Artificial Intelligence ; Dataset ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Decision Support Techniques ; Dental Informatics ; Dentition, Permanent ; Diagnosis ; General Practitioners ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Machine Learning ; Malocclusion ; Orthodontists ; Parents