Exploring Digital Health Technologies for Enhancing Oral Health: A Scoping Review of Interventions for Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Older adults face substantial barriers to oral healthcare. Digital innovations are emerging as promising tools to improve access, prevention and education for older adults. AIM: To map digital interventions designed to promote oral health in older adults, describe their targeted conditions, summarise study designs and delivery mechanisms and incorporate reported insights into user experiences and preferences. METHOD: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases up to January 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using the PCC framework. Data were charted on intervention types, target oral health measures, study designs, delivery mechanisms and any reported user experiences or preferences. Findings were synthesised descriptively and organised into key themes to map the scope of current evidence. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies with diverse methods were included, covering Teledentistry, mobile applications, web platforms, social media, virtual reality, augmented reality and AI-driven technologies. These interventions targeted diagnosis and monitoring, clinical management, behaviour change, triage and screening, functional oral health improvements and oral health-related quality of life. Several studies also reported on user experiences and preferences, highlighting perceived benefits such as convenience, improved access, increased motivation and enhanced knowledge, alongside barriers including low digital literacy, technical difficulties and reliance on caregivers. CONCLUSION: Digital interventions show promise for promoting oral health in older adults by improving knowledge, supporting self-care and enhancing access to care. Their sustainable adoption, however, depends on usability and acceptability, particularly among community-dwelling older adults. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias and limited generalisability of available evidence. Future studies should employ more rigorous and longitudinal designs, incorporate user perspectives and assess both effectiveness and cost-effectiveness to guide scalable, sustainable implementation. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias and the limited generalisability of the available evidence.