Why AI Won’t Replace your Dentist

As society wonders and worries about which jobs artificial intelligence may replace, people may ask, “Will AI replace dentists?” The question might conjure visions of humanoid robots acting as “AI dentists,” hovering over humans in dental chairs to fill cavities or tighten braces.

Such scenarios will likely remain the stuff of sci-fi. But while AI won’t replace dentists, it will transform dentistry. Indeed, dental artificial intelligence is already increasing diagnostic precision, enhancing treatment planning, and leading to better patient outcomes.

Keep reading for an overview of how dental AI can transform smiles and improve lives, including the lives of patients here at Penn Dental Family Practice (PDFP).

Benefits of AI for Dentists and Patients

Dental artificial intelligence uses machine learning and neural network technologies to process vast amounts of data, including dental X-rays, oral health records, and treatment histories. As a result, dentists can provide patient care with even greater precision and efficiency.

More Precise Diagnoses

AI in dental health plays an important part in diagnostic precision.

For example, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which use three-dimensional data for image classification and object recognition, excel in analyzing dental X-rays. They can identify subtle patterns in images and distinguish between healthy and diseased tissues. This advanced image analysis allows early detection of oral lesions and other oral and dental conditions, including oral cancer.

Using artificial intelligence in dental caries (cavities) detection is another major application of the technology. Identifying caries early is essential for keeping its treatment less invasive and expensive. Yet, early detection solely through visual inspection can be a challenge. AI’s ability to analyze images obtained through bitewing radiography gives dentists an advantage.

Dr. Mel Mupparapu, Professor of Oral Medicine and Director of Radiology at Penn Dental Medicine, is an expert in artificial intelligence in dental radiology. He uses AI to detect periapical dental lesions (abnormalities or infections around the tip of a tooth’s root). He has also co-published articles about using AI to calculate bone density and predict how dental implants placed in the bone will perform.

More Tailored Treatment Planning

Natural language processing in dental AI systems further assists dental professionals.

By extracting and analyzing patient data from clinical notes—information about medical history, lifestyle, genetic predispositions, previous treatment outcomes, and more—AI can help dentists create highly personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs.

AI algorithms evaluate the complexity of each dental case. They suggest optimal approaches and predict potential challenges. They then provide data-driven treatment recommendations, which streamline dentists’ decision-making and reduce the potential for human error.

In addition to analyzing clinical data, dental artificial intelligence can prove valuable in generating it. “AI-powered speech recognition software is a prime example of how AI can be integrated into electronic health records (EHRs),” write Drs. David Wu, W. Benton Swanson, and Rodrigo Rangel in the journal Decisions in Dentistry.

AI-powered charting software can make clinical documentation more accurate and faster. The less time dental professionals need to spend on paperwork, the more time they can spend face-to-face with patients.

More Positive Patient Outcomes

Taken together, dental AI’s potential to make more accurate diagnoses and craft more personalized treatment plans means it can make better oral health outcomes for patients possible.

Dental AI can lead to reduced treatment times, increased comfort, and more predictably successful procedures. It can also contribute to a more positive patient experience by automating and expediting several elements of the usual dental workflow: scheduling, records management, and even insurance processing.

AI can facilitate teledentistry applications. It allows for regular monitoring and consultation without frequent in-office visits. Patients with limited access to dental care can benefit from continuous monitoring and timely interventions regardless of location. Many PDFP patients first experienced the benefits of remote dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains an option when appropriate.

Dental artificial intelligence even holds out the promise of improved outcomes on a much larger scale.

At Penn Dental Medicine, visiting scholar Cornelia Walther has over two decades of experience as a humanitarian practitioner with the United Nations. She works with the UN on integrating “ProSocial AI”—that is, AI systems “tailored, trained, tested, and targeted to bring out the best in and for people and planet”—into its Sustainable Development Goals.

“If … we design, deliver, and deploy AI in ways that reflect our highest aspirations for equity, justice, and well-being,” Walther has said, “the technology can become a powerful force for the common good.”

AI at PDFP Is Something for You To Smile About

Patients here at PDFP are poised to benefit from the latest advancements in dentistry, including dental artificial intelligence.

As part of our commitment to meeting the highest standard of patient care, we adopt technological innovations not simply because they are new, but because they help us treat you and your loved ones with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Our use of dental AI means you can expect quick and precise analysis of your dental images and records, highly customized treatment plans, and a seamless clinical experience.

Come experience the future of dentistry today at PDFP. Schedule your appointment online or call us at 215-898-PDFP (7337).