title: Telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the management of edentulous spaces, there is a permanent need of a dentist-prosthetician in charge to consult other specialists. Modern telemedicine, based on powerful computer and telecomunication systems, offers an adequate answer to these challenges, being able to transfer and obtain clinical data and consultation information over large distances. Using smartphone or a computer, the teleconsultant acces the system, downloads and review the data and photographs and gave suggestions. The system then enables direct, real time contact with the consultant, chat, or directs them to contact each other by phone.
  
  
  METHODS
  We presented telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement in 3 cases with different teleconsultation requirements: the first case for prosthetic rehabilitation of his upper teeth, the second one for prosthetic management of his partial edentulousness and "a growth on his gums" in the vestibular region of the frontal teeth and the third one for prosthetic management of total edentulousness of her upper jaw. We used the system of telemedicine in dentistry, established at the Faculty of Medicine in Kosovska Mitrovica. The operation was based on the computer application system XPA3 Online, computer networking and mobile smartphone network. All consultations were succefull with no need for further procedures in regional center.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a mobile smartphone has brought about the mobility and availability of teleconsultant specialists in an extent never seen before. Prostheticians are thus able to offer better service to their patients and improve the quality of management of partially or totally edentulous patients, especially in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Dentistry Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia. dragan.mladenovic@medfak.ni.ac.rs
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mladenović
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosić
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zivković
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Djindjić
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mladenović
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mladenović
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marković
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D003757:Dental Implantation; D005260:Female; D006101:Granuloma, Giant Cell / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D013516:Oral Surgical Procedures, Preprosthetic; D011476:Prosthodontics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019114:Remote Consultation; D016896:Treatment Outcome