Shih Hui Chen

Taipei Medical University, Taiwan

Abstract Title:

Technology-Assisted Teledental Nursing Interventions for Oral Function in Older Adults: An Integrative Review

Biography:

Shih Hui Chen is a doctoral student at the College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. Her research focuses on oral frailty, gerontological nursing, digital health, and technology-assisted nursing interventions for older adults. She is particularly interested in integrating oral function assessment, community-based health promotion, and telehealth strategies to support healthy aging and improve access to preventive oral healthcare.

Research Interests:

Oral frailty and oral hypofunction are increasingly prevalent among older adults and are associated with functional decline, nutritional risk, and reduced quality of life. Technology-assisted teledental nursing interventions, including teledentistry and mobile health applications, may improve access to oral health screening, monitoring, education, and early referral, particularly in community and long-term care settings. This integrative review synthesized empirical evidence published between 2018 and 2026 on technology-assisted approaches for assessing and managing oral function among older adults, with emphasis on diagnostic performance, implementation feasibility, and nursing roles in digital oral healthcare. Relevant studies were narratively synthesized by study design, participant characteristics, assessment indicators, intervention components, clinical outcomes, and implementation barriers. The reviewed evidence suggests that teledentistry can provide clinically acceptable remote oral health screening, with reported agreement levels ranging from fair to substantial (kappa = 0.36-0.65). Older adults and caregivers generally demonstrated favorable acceptance when adequate guidance was provided. Nurses contributed to implementation by delivering oral health education, supporting digital communication, coordinating teleconsultations, monitoring adherence, and improving the continuity of patient-reported or image-based data. However, limited digital literacy, unequal access to devices and internet infrastructure, workflow challenges, and the lack of standardized teledentistry protocols remain major barriers. Overall, technology-assisted teledental nursing interventions may strengthen early detection and management of oral function decline. Nursing education should incorporate digital oral health competencies, and health systems should develop equitable, nurse-inclusive teledentistry models.