From robotic arms in warehouse and manufacturing settings to AI algorithm trading on Wall Street and in wealth management offices, artificial intelligence is ensconced in numerous industries and day-to-day business processes. Capable of doing certain tasks more accurately and efficiently than manual work, the powers and capacities of AI technology have become so ubiquitous that many people and professions don’t even realise when they’re using it.
Dentistry is one of those professions. Let’s explore how more practices — and the dental industry as a whole — may come to rely on artificial intelligence to boost patient care, provide more personalised treatments, improve performance and help patients achieve better oral health.
What Is Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry?
Before we get into specific examples, it’s important to define our terms. Artificial intelligence in dentistry refers to the use of machine learning and augmented intelligence to help dentists, hygienists and admin staff perform their jobs more efficiently. These tasks can be clinical or non-clinical AI applications, including:
- Diagnosis.
- Assessment.
- Treatment planning.
- Managing appointments.
- Patient follow-up.
- Inventory management.
- … and more.
Here are some examples of how AI can be put to work in dentistry and patient treatment.
1. Dental Imaging and Diagnosis
X-rays are a core component of patient care, either as part of a routine checkup or to identify a problem causing pain. Where available, an AI algorithm can analyse dental images to help identify potential dental caries and contribute to treatment planning. This technology removes a core component of educated guesswork in identifying that a patient has a dental condition. Additionally, artificial intelligence can be used to more readily recognise other oral health issues such as gum disease or certain mouth cancers.
2. Predictive Modelling
Similarly to other ailments, factors such as family history and dental care (i.e., oral hygiene) can influence whether a patient is vulnerable to a dental disease or chronic issue. Predictive analytics algorithms help determine a patient’s risk of developing certain oral health problems based on key risk factors, demographics and medical history. In practices with this kind of dental AI, predictive modelling can help a dental practitioner identify patients who may be susceptible to oral health problems and offer recommendations to mitigate risk.
3. Treatment Planning and Preparation
Whether it’s for wisdom tooth removal, a root canal, tooth decay or a number of other procedures, oral surgery may help restore normal function, reduce pain and inflammation or eliminate infection. Dental imaging AI software can assist with surgical planning by preparing dental surgeons for the procedure. For example, through 3D image analysis, an oral surgeon, orthodontist or other dental professional can use imaging to find proper positioning and angulation for patients receiving a dental implant or orthodontic treatment, according to the patient’s jawline or structure.
4. Virtual Assistant
Between scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, sending reminders about checkups and a host of other day-to-day rituals, a dental practice admin staff must be adept at multitasking. Faced with duelling priorities, more dental practices are adopting cloud-based dental practice management software and virtual assistants to lighten receptionists’ workload. Virtual assistants can be deployed in a number of ways — on websites as chatbots, for instance, or through automated messaging when patients call directly — but they’re all designed to maximise administrative efficiency for the dental practice and overall satisfaction for the patient.
5. Robotics and Automation
As both newly minted and seasoned dentists are well aware, the sensitive nature of attending to oral health requires rigorous academic preparation and hands-on experience in laboratory settings. Quality equipment plays a major role in ensuring they perform at their best and with precision. Robotic dentistry, for example, utilises AI for common and slightly more invasive dental procedures such as polishing or drilling. These robotic systems can be programmed to work with a high degree of diagnostic accuracy, which reduces the risk of complications and improves patients’ oral healthcare outcomes.
6. Predicting the Viability of Dental Implants
Dental implants in cosmetic dentistry have become an industry of their own. Whether it’s to replace a broken tooth with a bridge or cap or replace an entire set of teeth with veneers, dental implants help to restore a smile, increase self-confidence or avoid bone loss. Neural networks provide more visibility into how dental implants will perform before they’re placed.
These networks are a machine learning algorithm, following a similar model and structure to the human brain. As their name suggests, they are interconnected neurons that can process massive amounts of information. Through AI, they can be trained to recognise patterns and predict health outcomes. For example, a convolutional neural network can produce a virtual model of a patient’s mouth, determine the most efficient dental treatment plan and suggest material for the patient (e.g., porcelain, titanium, gold, ceramic, etc.). Neural networks rely on algorithms to detect dental caries by locating the edges of anatomical and pathological structures in radiological images, such as bitewings, periapical X-rays and panoramic X-rays.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations in Dental AI
While artificial intelligence in dentistry provides practitioners with exceptional opportunities to expand their care strategies through deep learning and digital dentistry, we remain at the outset of exploration and adoption. For this reason, the industry faces challenges as dental practices continue to integrate AI technology.
Some of the challenges include:
- Integration with current systems: Dental practices should implement dental technology strategically to reduce the likelihood of integration and interoperability impacting existing tech and workflows, communication systems and data formats.
- Regulatory compliance: Australian Dental Association (ADA) policies stipulate that the application of AI in dentistry must prioritise patient safety, data privacy and continuity of care, guiding dentists to maintain high-quality care standards. Dental professionals should be thoroughly versed in regulations before adopting AI tools into their workflows.
- Professional training: If your practice is considering updating dental software, supervised learning periods may be necessary to ensure compliance and competence while integrating the tools into the practice.
Similarly, as in any professional environment where health, security, safety and efficiency are paramount, the ethical use of dental AI is also necessary, affecting areas such as:
- Patient safety: Practices must rigorously test and evaluate AI systems before integration to validate algorithms’ effectiveness. Further, educating patients about AI’s benefits, risks and limitations, and about how AI was used in their diagnosis and treatment plan, empowers them to make informed decisions about their oral health. This speaks to informed consent — particularly in pediatric dentistry.
- Data security and privacy: Artificial intelligence in dentistry relies on big data comprising sensitive patient information. Dentists must ensure AI tools act in accordance with data privacy regulations, such as the Australian Privacy Principles (APP), to prevent unauthorised access or data breaches.
The Outlook for Dental AI
Artificial intelligence will never fully replace dentists or hygienists but it will enable every dental practice to perform more effectively. Predictive modelling and dental imaging can significantly improve diagnostics and treatment planning while leveraging operational data and insights to create an elevated patient experience.
Dental4Web and its state-of-the-art integrations are a great way to introduce AI to your practice. As the most popular global dental practice management system vendor in Australia, Centaur Software helps you automate administrative tasks that enable you to proactively communicate with your patients before, during and after their visits. For more details about how Dental4Web can transform your practice — or to book a demo — get in touch with our experts today.