How AI is Changing Dentistry

About fifteen years ago I was reading an article on the upcoming ‘technological singularity,’ or the point when a computer is built that is smarter than the smartest person on the planet. Futurists have predicted anywhere from fifteen to fifty years before this would occur (from 2010), taking into account the current rate of computer hardware and AI development, but also the challenges of defining intelligence and determining when and how a machine could actually outperform a human.

Obviously, the human brain and computers are very different, so making a direct comparison has its limitations. But if the goal is to make computers more like our brain as far as reasoning, novel thinking and complex problem solving, computers still have a ways to go. In this regard, one expert estimated that all the computers in the world combined would equal the processing power of one human brain.

Even though the technological singularity continues to reside in the realm of future expectations, we can still benefit from what AI has to offer today. We have AI to help us write letters, help with math problems, diagnose our health conditions, and even act as a surrogate therapist. It seems that AI has penetrated into just about every facet of our lives, and dentistry is no exception. Let’s take a look at a couple of ways how AI may change your future dental experience.

Radiograph Interpretation

One of the most important jobs your dentist has is interpreting radiographs or reading X-rays. X-rays provide a wealth of information that can tell us what is going on behind the scenes, with structures that are not visible to the naked eye. However, knowing what we’re looking at, and how to tell what is normal and what isn’t, takes a lot of training and practice. In fact, radiologists spend their entire four-year residency studying just this discipline.

Certainly, a skill as critical and nuanced as this is not easily supplanted by even the most advanced computer systems. With AI still in its early development, the assistance it provides is more focused on acting as another “set of eyes” to aid the clinician in his or her job. Considerably more advanced AI would be required to effectively replace the provider, and even then, a human being would likely still need to sign off on the results.

Guided Surgery

AI in combination with robotics is already under development in certain medical fields. For dentistry, implant placement can be done via robot with thousands of cases already successfully completed. The price tag of these robots is obviously quite high, so any implant placed by a robot will be quite expensive as well, but for complicated cases it may be worth the extra expense.

Current dental robotics still rely on human control, making them more of a passive system. But what if advanced AI could play more of an active role, involved with the treatment planning and adjusting on the fly? The goal in any implant case is to maximize success bringing and robotics combined with AI could provide a significant step, brining implant dentistry to patients who otherwise might not be good candidates.

Upon finishing my article, I was left awestruck by the complexity and abilities of the human brain, with its billions of neurons and millions of years of evolution. Some argue that it is the greatest engineering achievement in the history of the planet. Sitting on my couch, I looked up at the TV to see what was going on in the hockey game, only to witness two players with gloves off, grabbing each other’s jersey, trying to beat the snot out of each other. Sigh.

- Dr. McGann