Telemedicine using smartphones for oral and maxillofacial surgery consultation, communication, and treatment planning.

Telemedicine is the specialty of medicine that uses the evolving telecommunications industry combined with medical information technology to provide remote medical services. The use of smartphone telemedicine is an efficient and effective way for remote specialist consultation and should be considered by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Smartphones provide fast and clear access to electronically mailed digital images and allows the oral/maxillofacial surgeon free mobility, not restricted by the constraints of a desktop personal computer. This in turn allows for improved efficiency of the specialty consultation and improved triaging, ultimately providing improved care to the maxillofacial patient.