Artificial Intelligence – The Current Fascination in Dentistry

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a generic term used for all nonhuman intelligence, and it is a component of machine learning. In the current era, the impact of AI in health care is enormous, and specifically in the field of dentistry, it is overwhelming in various facets such as dental education, diagnosis, treatment planning, and execution as well as in clinic or hospital management. It is amazing to witness the establishment of this technology in dentistry as it delivers precise diagnosis of complicated cases, prognosis, and treatment plan in a more swift and affordable manner. AI is ingrained in almost all the branches of dentistry either in virtual or physical form. The main arenas of the virtual type are the imaging for diagnosis and prognosis, appointment scheduling, drug interactions, maintenance of electronic health records, and so on. The physical aspect includes telepresence, teledentistry, and robotic support in surgery. AI is employed in the field of dental education in a great deal which paves the way for high-quality learning settings. Researchers developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm to detect early dental caries on periapical radiographs and intraoral images.[1] AI is indeed an incredibly powerful tool to analyze the cone-beam computed tomography scans to precisely detect periapical radiolucency and alveolar bone resorption for the detection of periapical pathology and periodontitis. Krois et al. advocated CNN in the detection of periodontal bone loss on panoramic radiographs.[2] RaPid, a design assistant, utilized for application in prosthodontics combines anthropological calculations and face dimensions and helps in the delivery of esthetic dental prosthesis.[3] Integrating AI with computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D)/4D printing can take it up a notch demonstrating high efficiency. Similarly, in orthodontics, accurate 3D scans and virtual models are used to 3D print the aligners, and an algorithm is developed that determines the amount of pressure to be given to the teeth during tooth movement. AI also finds its application in forensic medicine and is found to be effective in determining the biological age and gender of the healthy and ill. Nonetheless, it is employed for analyzing bite marks and predicting mandibular morphology. The uses of AI are expanding in the field of “bioprinting,” which allows living tissue and even organs to be created in successive thin layers of cells which may be used in future to reconstruct oral hard and soft tissues that have been lost due to pathological reasons. Voice-command dental chairs are the most recent innovation used for all kinds of operations. Dentistry performed by machines without human interaction may compromise clinical care. Machines cannot provide clinical intuition or empathy toward an individualized and personalized health care. While incorporating AI tools in dentistry is welcoming, it is also important to remember that human-to-human communication should never be missed while delivering health care. Altogether, AI systems show promise as a great aid and support to oral health-care professionals.

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