Author: Kiley von Bernthal
Topic: Dentistry and AI
Would you let a robot clean your teeth?
Like professionals in many other fields, dentists and their teams are facing a range of challenges and controversies surrounding artificial intelligence. Given the rapid expansion of this innovative technology, it is not surprising that dentists are questioning the fate of their roles and the well-being of their patients moving forward. In terms of patient concerns, going to the dentist is already frightening enough, so replacing that friendly neighborhood face with an automated machine isn’t favorable to most. Fortunately, AI holds promising potential in enhancing dentistry without compromising the careers of dental professionals or the clinical outcomes of patients.
Company Breakthroughs
Several leading dental AI platforms have already received FDA clearance for their proposed technologies, which will soon become commonplace in all successful clinics. In May 2021, Overjet became the first dental machine learning company to receive FDA approval for its bone-level and disease detection software. The pioneer’s vast capabilities include insurance processing, generative imaging, and automated education; such features have already drastically improved efficiency, allowing for dentists, insurers, and educators alike to shift their focus towards the patient. CEO Wardah Inam emphasizes that Overjet’s Clinical Intelligence Platform and Insurance Intelligence Platform can serve as the “first objective standard for dentistry…making it a more accessible and equitable medical field” (Pulse 2.0).
Another leader in AI solutions, Pearl, announced its first FDA approval in May 2022 for its “real-time pathology detection solution” titled Second Opinion®. Since then, the company has added other tools such as Practice Intelligence® for practices, Precheck® for insurance verification, and Calibrate® for clinical assessment.
DentalMonitoring, a remote orthodontics monitoring tool, was approved within the last year for use in clinical care. Its software employs image processing intelligence to examine permanent teeth within the oral cavity, and is designed to provide insight into diagnosis and treatment plans for orthodontists. The DentalMonitoring team prides itself as one of the four recipients of De Novo grants from the FDA since 2012, and CEO Philippe Salah anticipates more to come following their software’s approval.
Other leading companies in dental AI, such as VideaHealth, boast exponential increases in partnerships, along with updated clearance for expanded disease detection. With such sophisticated advancements being pushed out at this stage, there is no doubt that routine appointment tasks will be delegated to AI systems for the long term.
Hope for Humans
Despite the promising progress demonstrated by these companies, dentistry is still considered one of the more “protected” careers from AI due to its unique blend of small-scale artistry with medicine. Trained professionals will continue to have a place in the dental realm due to their conscious expertise and, most importantly, ethical judgement. Like other areas of healthcare, dentistry requires a mix of extensive medical knowledge, critical thinking, and genuine sympathy.
Procedures, no matter how repetitive they may seem, will always vary between patients due to a number of factors, including case complexity, medical history, and even the patient’s financial status. The process by which a patient receives care is just as important as the outcome itself, and the ability to consider real-time changes along with a patient’s comprehensive circumstances requires raw human input. After all, the trust that defines dentist-patient relations cannot be mimicked by any machine or system.
Conclusions: Collaboration as a Compromise
Instead of devising ways to slow AI’s inevitable rise, dentists and other healthcare providers may encounter more success by integrating these novel technologies in a way that will enhance patient outcomes. Moving forward, providers will bear a larger responsibility for understanding the implementation of AI-based approaches and figuring out how they can be used most effectively in their typical care setting. Nevertheless, patient skepticism over AI’s ability to replace trained, conscious providers sustains the demand for human dentists as of now.
References
Business Wire. DentalMonitoring Sets New Standard In Orthodontic Remote Monitoring With De Novo Approval By the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 20 May 2024, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240520240852/en/DentalMonitoring-Sets-New-Standard-In-Orthodontic-Remote-Monitoring-With-De-Novo-Approval-By-the-U.S.-Food-and-Drug-Administration-FDA-.
Lardinois, Frederic. Overjet Profile: Wardah Inam Interview. Pulse 2.0, https://pulse2.com/overjet-profile-wardah-inam-interview/.
VideaAI Receives FDA Clearance for Dental Assist Platform. VideaHealth, https://www.videa.ai/news/videa-dental-assist-clearance.
FDA Clears World’s First AI Software to Read Dental X-rays. Pearl AI, https://www.hellopearl.com/press-release/fda-clears-worlds-first-ai-software-to-read-dental-x-rays?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Acharya, Arun. “Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: Opportunities and Challenges.” British Dental Journal, vol. 236, 2024, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-024-7752-6.