Effectiveness of the Distance Learning Strategy Applied to Orthodontics Education: A Systematic Literature Review.

Introduction: Tele-education refers to the use of interactive distance learning technologies. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of tele-education in the field of orthodontics.Methods: This systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO and followed PRISMA guidelines. Two independent researchers reviewed the literature available in the databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, Bireme, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, TRIP, SCIELO, LILAS, SCIENCEDIRECT, and Google Scholar using the following descriptors: "Education, Distance" OR "e-learning" AND "Orthodontics," including only interventional studies. The descriptive synthesis was conducted according to the Center for Reviews and Dissemination. The analysis of the biases was conducted using the MINORS protocol, and the analysis of the interventions using Kirkpatrick's method was evaluated.Results: Of the 15 remaining articles for complete reading, 4 were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, leaving 11 articles for evaluation in the systematic review. Eight articles emphasized the evaluation of the distance education materials available, achieving a high percentage of acceptability among students, two cited only satisfaction, and one article evaluated the practical performance of the students.Conclusion: The results showed that orthodontic distance learning is an effective but complementary element, with no significant differences, to the traditional method of teaching.