Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence in dentistry

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Mon. 16 October 2023

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The power of artificial intelligence (AI) has great application not only in general healthcare but also in specialised fields such as dentistry. On 27 October, Dr Michael Parchewsky, a dentist at Terra Dental Care in Calgary in Alberta in Canada, will host a free webinar in which he will discuss how AI can help support dentistry with regard to improving both the oral and systemic health of patients. He will also discuss some of the principles of AI and talk about how it will continue to help dental professionals to improve efficiency, diagnostic accuracy, case presentation and case acceptance.

Dr Parchewsky, how did you start your journey from an analogue to a digital workflow? What motivated you to take the digital leap?
As a CEREC workflow user for nearly 20 years, my original approach to the digital workflow involved single appointment crowns. My journey then turned to the implant workflow in order to be able to digitally plan implants for the fabrication of surgical guides. Digital technology provides me with better efficiency; however, my main motivation for the digital leap was the opportunity it gave me to offer better care for my patients.

Dr Michael Parchewsky is a key opinion leader and beta-tester for Dentsply Sirona and an implant mentor for Atlantis implant solutions. (Image: Michael Parchewsky)

What does AI mean to you personally? How has it changed your day-to-day work as a dentist?
AI provides dentists with quickly available and intuitive information that can be used to treat their patients. For me, it has allowed my team to make better choices of therapies for patients and has allowed us to scan and plan treatment faster. The AI-generated proposal for CEREC crowns is an example of the benefits of AI technology.

What are some of the technologies you use that feature AI, and what could you tell us about some novel technologies that will soon be entering the dental market?
In our current workflows, we use AI to help with our CEREC workflow, office management and the analysis of patients’ sleep apnoea. Coming to the market soon is software such as OraQ, Pearl and Denti.AI, which will help dentists to improve their treatment planning and case acceptance through analysis of complex data sets.

What other important insights on the use of AI in dentistry will you provide in your webinar?
I think it is important to know where the technology is going and to understand how the role of a dentist may change in the future. These are some of the topics I will cover in my upcoming webinar.

Editorial note:

More information about the webinar can be found at the Dentsply Sirona Academy Campus.