Artificial Intelligence (AI) already has many current applications in modern dentistry and the future promises many more. The first and most important use for AI is not interrupting my busy schedule and having ChatGPT write me a perfectly boring article for this magazine.
No, just kidding, AI cannot be trusted for such a momentous task. AI was not used to write this piece.
The actual current most important use of AI is using it to analyze our dental x-rays. As of six months ago, we started utilizing a software called Overjet, which uses artificial intelligence to look for hidden cavities, bone loss and abscesses in the jaw bone. The program also color-codes any potential issues to make it easy for us to see, and easy for our patients to visualize.
At first thought, it might seem like this is a product of laziness or even a sales technique. However, it is a function of thoroughness. The worst feeling in the world is finding out you missed a cavity on a trusted long-time patient. This can easily happen to even the best dentist, because we are guilty of running from room to room, and trying to simultaneously converse with people about surfing or vacations or whatever we love discussing. The AI x-ray software allows us to slow down and spot things easier. Sure, the software is often wrong, and sees things that aren’t really problems, but at least we now take the extra time to double check those areas. AI does not get tired, AI does not get distracted, AI is simply better than the humans at spotting different shades of gray.
Other current uses for AI are notetaking and observing, and also insurance verification and claims approval. These aren’t quite as impactful, but help to streamline the way an office functions. If AI can listen to a consultation or procedure and summarize it, it helps to make chart notes more thorough and accurate. We can use the Overjet software to show dental insurance carriers when and why teeth need crowns, and insurance accepts the claim automatically.
The future of AI in all the various industries can simultaneously amaze or frighten. I do not think AI will be taking the job of dentists or our support staff for a long, long time. While robotic AI-driven dental implant surgery is already taking place, it appears to be a long-way off from mainstream use. On any given afternoon, I will place molar sealants on a squirming 7 year old and then move to the next room and place a front tooth filling on an 82 year old with Parkinson’s disease. Seems like a tough task for a robot to handle those routine complexities.
For the foreseeable future, I see Artificial Intelligence opening doors to make going to the dentist easier, more organized and even more painless.
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