Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: More Than Just a Buzzword
Today’s blog post is by CLA’s Rebecca Rye.
Artificial intelligence is a topic of conversation in nearly every setting across health care and life science. Dental offices are no exception. While the extent of the impact of AI is still unfolding, dentists can use AI tools to accelerate the growth and efficiency of their practice.
AI tools may be used across a dental practice to help aid in care delivery and efficiency. Here are just a few examples:
Detecting Cavities
Most patients would identify the detection and treatment of cavities as the primary reason they visit the dentist. AI-driven computer vision systems can be taught to detect dental decay from patient x-rays or photos, often with a greater degree of sensitivity than is generally possible from a visible examination alone. An X-ray analysis for areas of demineralization can help identify areas of concern before they are visible to human eyes and allow more significant preventative intervention. Incorporating AI analysis into a practice can provide a helpful and immediate second opinion to a dentist’s analysis and treatment plan. In addition, AI analysis can create more patient confidence in a treatment plan and help support a dentist’s explanation of required treatment.
Orthodontic Treatment Planning
One of the most recent AI-powered innovations within dentistry is the use of AI in orthodontics. Analysis of x-rays and images taken can be used to develop treatment plans and using computer-assisted design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) may reduce the need for more intensive laboratory procedures and patient impressions. Using scans and virtual models, AI can develop the most efficient and effective methodology to achieve desired outcomes and create a road map that can be used to assess progress more quantitatively throughout the treatment path.
Practice Management
Virtual assistants powered by AI can be utilized for many administrative tasks essential to the smooth running of a dental practice. Scheduling, organizing insurance information, patient paperwork and communication can all be completed by AI assistants. Using AI for more routine tasks can help to ease the workload for staff and allow focus to shift to areas of the practice that require decision-making activities beyond the scope of AI’s abilities.
Oral Cancer Detection
One of the most important examinations a dentist may complete when assessing a patient is the identification of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). OPMDs are an indicator of oral or oropharyngeal cancer. Unfortunately, many cases are not detected until the disease has progressed, which requires more expensive and invasive treatments to address. AI tools may provide an efficient way to change that. While tools are not currently available to dental practitioners, researchers are working to train AI algorithms to identify areas of concern from patient images.
AI’s Limitations
While AI can be a powerful tool, it is not without limitations, and it is important to keep these limitations in mind while determining how to utilize AI. First, using AI requires a real and honest look at a practice’s cybersecurity environment. As patient data is used to increase efficiency and effectiveness of AI tools, it means that more and more data must be stored and secured by practices. The effect of a data breach can cost more than dollars—it can affect patient confidence long after the financial impacts are resolved.
In addition, AI may require large amounts of well-organized and annotated data to “learn” from. While publicly available datasets can be a great resource for AI training, dental AI is bound by patient confidentiality requirements. Patient information must either be completely scrubbed of identifiable information, or patients must give consent for their information to be used. While vendors creating AI software work to “train” their products, it is key to understand what is required at a practice level to ensure that software continues to learn and remains up to date.
Regulations on AI are on the horizon
While the use of AI is outstripping policies and laws to govern it, regulators are taking notice. In October 2023, President Biden released an Executive Order to begin the work of establishing requirements and guidelines for the federal use of AI and AI-enabled technologies. It’s important that practices using AI monitor regulatory actions to ensure they comply with applicable requirements as they roll out.
How CLA can help
CLA’s team of industry professionals can help you analyze ways data can be used to automate and uncover efficiencies within your practice. In addition, our cybersecurity team can help you assess your network’s approach to security. Reach out today.
Jennifer Boese is the Director of Health Care Policy at CLA. She is a highly successful public policy, legislative, advocacy and political affairs leader, including working in both the state and federal government as well as the private sector. She brings over 20 years of government relations and public policy knowledge with her to CLA. Well over half of her career has been spent dedicated to health care policy and the health care industry, affording her a deep understanding of the health care market and environment, health care organizations and health care stakeholders. Her role at CLA is to provide thought leadership, policy analysis and strategic insights to health care providers across the continuum related to the industry's ongoing transformation towards value. A key focus of that work is on market innovations and emerging payment models. Her goal is to help CLA clients navigate and thrive in an increasingly dynamic health care environment.
Comments are closed.