The transformative power of AI in dentistry

Defining AI in dentistry

Before we dive deeper into the profound impacts of AI in dentistry, let us establish a working definition. In practical terms, AI is a field of computing in which advanced algorithms access extensive data sets to solve problems in ways reminiscent of human cognition. IBM aptly characterises AI as the utilisation of computers and machines to emulate human problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

AI in everyday life

Many people are unaware that they interact with AI on a daily basis. If you have ever used voice-activated virtual assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant or received personalised recommendations on platforms like Netflix, YouTube or Spotify, you have already experienced the influence of AI. Beyond these personal interactions, AI plays a pivotal role in various aspects of our professional lives.

For instance, AI is the driving force behind automated speech recognition and closed captioning, enhancing accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments. In the realm of online customer service, AI-powered chatbots efficiently assist users on e-commerce websites, making shopping experiences smoother and more efficient. Moreover, AI excels in image categorisation and analysis, a capability we often encounter in apps like Apple Photos or during medical image assessments at healthcare facilities.

The evolution of AI

The recent surge in AI’s prominence can be attributed to several factors. One crucial factor is the exponential growth in computational power, computers continuously becoming more potent and capable of handling complex AI tasks. Another pivotal development is the unprecedented access to massive data sets, consisting of millions of documents and images. Additionally, the emergence of deep learning networks has revolutionised AI by allowing it to process vast amounts of information, often derived from extensive online data sources.

Traditionally, software developers created specific algorithms tailored to solving well-defined problems. However, deep learning, a subset of machine learning, which is itself a subset of AI, introduced a dynamic approach. Deep learning models are adept at handling substantial data sets and can learn the unique characteristics of various document types, such as images, essays or strings of computer code. These models then generate new, original content that closely resembles the examples they have encountered, all with minimal human intervention.

Dr Rune Fisker, senior vice president of product strategy at the dental scanning and software company 3Shape, has underscored the significance of deep learning in AI’s advancement. He noted that deep learning demands less development effort compared with traditional approaches while delivering significantly higher performance. The societal and other implications of this are profound, as it will make computers considerably more intelligent.

 The implications for dentistry

But what does this mean for the field of dentistry? The potential applications of AI in dentistry are vast and transformative. While AI is not a panacea, ignoring its potential would be a missed opportunity. AI is poised to become the next evolution in the dental profession, much like how digital technology revolutionised dentistry by surpassing the limitations of analogue methods.

In our everyday lives, AI enhances our efficiency, effectiveness and predictability. In North American oral healthcare, these qualities translate into increased profit margins. Dr Fisker envisions AI-powered (computer-aided) denture design as not only technically feasible but also inevitable. The impact of AI extends to various aspects of dental care, including imaging, diagnostics and eventually design.

3Shape’s current intra-oral scanning technology, called AI 2.0, uses AI to help identify edentulous soft tissue and delineate between soft tissue, teeth and other artefacts in the mouth. Conventional intra-oral scans naturally capture everything within range of the scanner’s beam, including unhelpful images of soft tissue irrelevant to the final diagnosis or design of the final prosthesis. Using AI and deep learning, modern 3Shape scanners can intelligently differentiate between soft tissue and other, more important, intra-oral information. 3Shape’s scanning software automatically and instantly deletes this soft-tissue information, producing a cleaner, more useful final digital record of a patient’s intra-oral situation.

Before the company’s AI-powered technology was developed, technicians and clinicians needed to manually annotate the unwanted soft tissue and tongue on the initial scanning output. Over time, 3Shape accumulated a very large set of these accurately annotated scans, which it then used to train its deep learning algorithm, effectively teaching it to do the identification work human annotators had performed previously.