A powerful tool with wide-ranging applications and benefits, artificial intelligence (AI) has been changing the overall health-care landscape for decades. By detecting patterns in data, AI can reveal problems and enable providers to connect each to the best treatment.
AI diagnostic tools augment dentists’ abilities, create efficiencies, and increase patient trust. Ultimately AI helps patients more readily adopt treatment . . . and starts a revolution that begins with the mouth.
Health care has been gradually turning to AI as practitioners seek to enhance patient care, but its adoption has been slow. This pattern isn’t unusual, according to the Gartner hype cycle,1 which is a graphical presentation showing the maturity, adoption, and social application of specific technologies over time. Even x-rays took almost half a century to be seen as a necessary diagnostic tool.
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However, AI assistants like Dentrix Detect AI powered by VideaHealth offer such powerful image-analysis technology that dentists are seeing immediate benefits in diagnosing and recommending treatment. AI tools have proven their value in only a few years, especially for solo dentists who rely on AI for diagnostic confirmation.
It’s safe to predict that AI-enabled analysis tools will soon be considered essential clinical tools. As AI detects patterns in x-rays that reveal dental caries and other issues, patients will benefit.
Earlier detection
Oral health provides a window into overall health, making early intervention of dental issues vital. Research shows that poor oral health can increase the possibility of hypertension, diabetes, and early-onset dementia. Periodontal disease has been linked with an increased likelihood (up to 70%) of high blood pressure.2
When oral health issues are discovered sooner, they can be treated less invasively. These problematic areas can often be difficult to see with the human eye. With AI, dentists can help patients prevent additional bone loss and decay.
AI’s reliability
Unfortunately, there is a perception among some that dentistry is inexact. A Reader’s Digest article showed that visiting 50 different dentists results in almost as many diagnoses and treatment plans.3 A solution such as Dentrix Detect AI helps dental professionals reinforce patient trust by offering consistent diagnostic precision.
The VideaHealth algorithm is based on data from hundreds of US dentists. Those millions of data points enable dentists to leverage algorithms that reliably detect caries and other signs of oral disease.
As demonstrated by an FDA clinical study4 of the VideaHealth algorithm, using AI increases diagnostic accuracy. An astounding 100% of clinicians in the study improved their ability to detect diseases when aided with AI. The study also found a 15% reduction in erroneous detections and a 31% increase in caries detection.
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A primary reason for the diagnostic improvements is due to AI extracting more information from grayscale x-rays. These images feature far more shades of gray than the human eye can detect. X-ray interpretation can be influenced by external factors such as differences in monitor resolution, glare, or room lighting. Dentrix Detect AI evaluates all shades and then color-codes detected issues directly on the x-ray, serving as a second opinion. Dentists can use their experience and diagnostic skills to make informed decisions about patient treatment.
Efficiency and trust
Even as dentists face the pressure to make fast, correct diagnoses, they balance many other responsibilities (often acting in multiple contexts as primary care physicians, radiologists, surgeons, and business owners). As dentists switch contexts, an AI tool supports their diagnostic efforts, decreasing the chance of missing areas of concern.
AI helps patients better understand treatment recommendations, which helps increase their trust in dental providers. Studies show the value of a treatment plan increases by as much as 26% when using AI.4
Choosing the best AI solution
Various dental AI tools offer different results. To avoid being disillusioned with this revolutionary technology, look for a reputable and proven solution that uses an accurate, foundational algorithm based on robust data sources. The tool should also integrate easily with clinical workflows and practice management software.
Consider the two primary aspects of accuracy in AI algorithms: sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity refers to how well the AI detects what it’s looking for, and specificity refers to how many false positives it identifies. AI tools that offer the highest ROI will provide actionable data.
Choose a partner with a long-term vision and strategy. Think of it as choosing a technology partner, not just a software product. Through careful evaluation, providers can choose an AI solution that offers the best results.
Dentrix Detect AI, powered by VideaHealth AI and backed by Henry Schein One, seamlessly integrates into the Dentrix practice management solution and imaging workflow. The companies
partnered to help dental professionals leverage the power of AI by bringing clinically relevant imaging analysis to the practice management system.
The algorithm was trained with data from more than 10 million x-rays, comparing each new image to more x-rays than a single dentist could review in a lifetime. This enables the AI to build algorithms that can be used across ages, genders, and ethnicities. This diagnostic assistance can help solo dentists revolutionize their dental care.
Research has demonstrated how AI increases early detection of dental issues while decreasing errors. Because of AI’s tremendous potential in health care, it’s a safe assumption that dentistry will evolve in the coming years to incorporate more AI. And more AI will increase treatment opportunities to enhance patients’ lives and empower providers to diagnose with confidence.
Editor’s note: Henry Schein is a recent financial supporter of Dental Economics. This article appeared in the June 2023 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
References
- Gartner hype cycle. Wikipedia. Updated March 31, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gartner_hype_cycle
- Noble JM, Scarmeas N, Papapanou PN. Poor oral health as a chronic, potentially modifiable dementia risk factor: review of the literature. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2013;13(10):384. doi:10.1007/s11910-013-0384-x
- Ecenbarger W. I went to 50 different dentists and almost all of them gave me a different diagnosis. Reader’s Digest. February 1997. Updated November 22, 2022. https://www.rd.com/article/how-honest-are-dentists/
- VideaHealth Dental AI solution receives FDA 510(k) clearance, establishing industry-wide benchmark for clinical accuracy. VideaHealth. May 2, 2022. https://www.videa.ai/news/videahealth-dental-ai-solution-receives-fda-510-k-clearance-establishing-industry-wide-benchmark-for-clinical-accuracy
