The International Association of Dental Traumatology ToothSOS mobile app: A 2‐year report

Abstract

Dental trauma is common and most prevalent in children and adolescents. 1-3 The role of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental trauma is of utmost importance for the survival of primary and permanent teeth. 4 Oral health as a child is considered to be a reliable indicator for oral health as an adult. 5 Therefore, both the public and the dental community should be educated on the management of traumatic dental injuries. Early intervention may significantly improve the prognosis of an injured tooth and therefore can restore function, proper development, and a patient's smile to its original state. 5,6 The first few hours following injury are critical in

Critical appraisal of the information available on traumatic dental injuries found in applications

“…[25][26][27][28] This alternative allows instant access to information and promotes a higher level of interaction and visualization for the user, facilitating user understanding and promoting the dissemination of knowledge and interest in general medical issues, as well as TDI. 29,30 Although many Apps can be used for dental education, the information provided by these must be peer-reviewed, validated and based on scientific evidence. 30 Apps have been introduced in the iOS and Android systems to help disseminate information on dental trauma and TDI management.…”

“…29,30 Although many Apps can be used for dental education, the information provided by these must be peer-reviewed, validated and based on scientific evidence. 30 Apps have been introduced in the iOS and Android systems to help disseminate information on dental trauma and TDI management. 10,32 Some Apps could help in TDI epidemiology through self-reporting of the occurrence of TDI, reducing the lack of data capture and tracking TDI.…”

“…33 Some have even become a reference in dental trauma, such as the ToothSOS. 30 However, despite their educational importance, little is known about their characteristics and the information they impart. Therefore, the aims of this study were to search existing TDI applications (Apps) and to critically analyze the characteristics and main information contained in the Apps on TDI available on two operating systems for smartphones (Android and iOS) worldwide.…”

“…App relevance to dentists has been previously reported by TDI guides and other guidelines that refer interested individuals to the IADT website, and Apps provide clinical information on the correct management of each type of trauma. 15,16,30 The applicability to patients is directed at immediate post-trauma care, providing images of trauma types and offering step-by-step procedures on how to handle the situation correctly. 10 Only one of the retrieved Apps (Dental Trauma) was also found by Djemal and Singh.…”

Utilizing technology to enhance compliance and oral health.

“…In recent years, phone applications relating to dental care have been released for use by the public. One example is the ToothSOS app that was created by the International Association of Dental Traumatology as a free service to provide information on emergency management and prevention of dental injuries [18]. Parents and patients can find easy to read instructions and pictures to guide them through a dental injury before visiting their dentist (Figure 2).…”