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- By Jessica A. Rickert, DDS
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Dentistry has always been on the cutting edge of science and technology. Now, Artificial Intelligence is transforming dentistry.
- AI is used to generate and analyze digital images to assist in diagnosing conditions, predicting anomalies and planning surgeries. AI-powered diagnostic tools are achieving over 90% accuracy, resulting in early detection of dental diseases. Digital images include radiographs, magnetic resonance images (MRI) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
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- Digital impressions result in highly accurate 3D models of a patient’s teeth and oral structures.
- Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD-Cam) technology can fabricate restorations. 3D printing is used to fabricate dentures and dental devices.
- Oral surgeons and Endodontists use image guidance for semi-automated implant surgery, removal of tumors and foreign objects, biopsies, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery.
- chatBot interfaces such as chatGPT, DeepSeek & GeminiLLM can enhance language processing, especially patient’s records.
- Management of individual patient’s health status, medications and accommodations medications.
- Electronic health records can enhance communication with other doctors.
- Customized patient education systems will increase patient understanding and lead to higher case acceptance.
- AI models can predict treatment outcomes with up to 73% accuracy, improving treatment planning and lessening treatment timelines
- Post-care instructions can be customized for each patient.
- Better patient management like smart scheduling which allows for remote check-ins and fewer missed appointments.
- Management of the business office, including staff management and dental insurance interactions.
- Management of dental laboratory fabrications to enhance accuracy.
- Voice commands will be used for dental chairs and other equipment.
- In dental education, AI tutoring systems have significantly improved dental students’ performance.
AI’s future developments in Dentistry
AI robots are being developed to assist dentists.
AI technologies can speed up clinical processes, allowing more patients to be treated.
Dental chairs will be able to monitor a patient’s vital signs, anxiety level, weight, and warning the dental professionals if any variations are found.
AI is being used in the field of “bioprinting,” which allows living tissue to be created in successive thin layers of cells and is used to reconstruct oral hard and soft tissues in the future.
Concerns
AI cannot duplicate clinical intuition, dentists’ experience, or empathy, which are essential to providing optimal and individualized healthcare. AI does not possess intangible perceptions to comprehend nonverbal cues which is possible only through face-to-face human conversations.
Aesthetic results require human evaluation.
Human-to-human communication is so complicated that it cannot be easily translated into computer language.
Can any artificial emotions of a robot convey kindness, compassion and competence?
Humans
The human touch itself is healing. There is healing in the human voice. Comfort and hope are powerful human-to-human interactions.
AI is unable to experience associations as the human brain does, and each patient requires unique and complicated decisions. Higher-level comprehension that depends on dentists’ experience is necessary to conduct physical examinations, review medical histories, evaluate aesthetic results, and promote meaningful communication. Nonverbal assessment of the patient’s hopes, anxieties, and expectations are part of every face-to-face interaction. These communication pathways are intuitive and unplanned.
Can robots artificially convey healing emotions? What algorithm does that?
Future
AI is a useful and promising tool which is welcomed by dentists. The potential of an amazing future with new AI developments can only be achieved by brilliant young people who can imagine, create and design future applications. The possibilities are boundless. This will require the human brains of our students!
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Artificial Intelligence Impacts the Art and Science of Dentistry – Part 1