Overview of AI applications in dentistry

When we talk to you about artificial intelligence in the dental sector, what comes to mind?

First of all, it is important to define the term artificial intelligence (AI). It is a process of imitating human intelligence based on a dynamic computer program, composed of algorithms. It is not about replacing humans, as some fear, but about supporting medical practice to make it more efficient and improve patient care.

Thus, digital technology and innovation are taking over the medical ecosystem and have boomed in the last decade. AI has taken root in many fields, and dentistry is no exception. Given the effectiveness of such systems, more and more startups are taking an interest in the topic and are working to revolutionize the dental sector, especially through machine learning and deep learning.
This article presents various applications, tools, startups and technologies in the field of artificial intelligence in dentistry, with the aim of helping dentists provide optimal care to their patients and encouraging them to improve their dental health autonomously.

Pearlii

Pearlii is the perfect example of an AI dental app. Its goal is to improve oral health for everyone. In this regard, Pearlii offers a free dental checkup made possible by a simple smartphone camera. This AI-powered app uses machine learning to check for dental health issues, such as gingivitis or cavities. It then provides users with personalized results and suggestions for appropriate dental treatments in order to improve overall dental hygiene and prevent existing conditions from worsening. The app is now available for Android and will soon be released for iOS devices.

Allisone

Did you know that 56% of your patients do not accept their treatment plan because they do not understand the importance of seeking treatment and that 67% of patients cannot locate their pathologies on their dental X-rays? Allisone is a software application based on artificial intelligence that allows you to explain dental X-rays to your patients in a visual, entertaining and educational way, making it easier for them to understand and more involved in their oral health. This software has been designed by dentists, for dentists. On average, Allisone increases the rate of adherence to treatment plans by 24%!

DentalMonitoring

DentalMonitoring has created a solution to reinvent the patient and practitioner experience through the virtual professional practice of orthodontics, with the goal of contributing to the development of dental practices and maximizing the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. Their services allow for new patient acquisition, follow-up, and remote dental monitoring of assigned treatments. In this way, professionals can manage their patients in a new way using automated and AI-powered clinical analytics, integrated In-App voice and video calls, and a two-way messaging platform as well as scheduling system when an appointment is needed. The services are available on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and iPad.

TeleDentists

TeleDentists is a platform that provides remote dental services 24/7/365. It addresses the problem of the dentist shortage by developing a solution where dental emergencies and pain do not have to wait to be treated. This solution is based on AI: by using a chatbot that assesses symptoms, patients are directed to the required healthcare professionals in order to provide them with accurate patient care. Thus, this platform facilitates the connection between patients and dentists and promotes access to care.

Toothscan

Toothscan is a company reinventing dental hygiene by developing a smart scanner that combines the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, connected to an app for real-time monitoring. This revolutionary toothbrush-sized device monitors and analyses the dental health of its users. Its system uses spectrometry and emits a powerful light that reflects off the surface of the teeth. Irregular reflections are measured and interpreted by the software to prevent potential dental disease. The application provides live personalized by dentists advice based on the clinical analysis performed by the device.

Beam Dental

Beam Dental is the first digital dental insurer to harness the Internet of Things (IoT) and reward its members for good dental hygiene. The company combines an online insurance platform, AI-based underwriting, and a smart toothbrush.

Bean Brush offers toothbrush syncs with an app, allowing the company to assess how regularly people have maintained their dental health and thus benefit from savings on monthly premiums.

Philips Sonicare & Kolibree

Philips Sonicare and Kolibree smart electric toothbrushes are similar to Beam Dental but rely more on real-time feedback from the toothbrush through sensors to allow users to find the right amount of pressure when brushing and even be guided to brush their teeth properly by using the linked app.

Smart Mouth Guard

Smart Mouth Guard is another IoT-linked app that prevents patients from grinding their teeth through sensors that allow the dentist to know where the most affected areas of the teeth are. The data then allows the dentist to create effective treatment and remediation plans.

Smart Teeth

Smart Teeth uses the implantation of smart chips in each denture to detect food intake, the amount of acidic fluid consumed, blood alcohol levels, and saliva pH, and develop patterns and correlations by using the data collected. This could drive advances in preventive dentistry and personalized medicine.

The IoT Diet Wearable

The IoT Diet Wearable was developed by Tufts University scientists. It is a wearable sensor that extends the preventive measures that such devices can provide. It can be attached to a tooth and tracks the user's diet by analyzing chemical changes in the mouth. This device could be very helpful in preventing dental caries from becoming severe.

Smart Dental Implant

The Smart Dental Implant is a cyber-physical dental implant system designed to improve patient outcomes, quality of life, and overall health. The solution collects data from a sensor embedded in the patient's implant to measure the degree of osseointegration rate. The signals are recorded by software in the form of a phone app. This makes it possible to evaluate the evolution of the mobility of the implants and quickly detect possible failures.
This solution would be revolutionary for patients with health problems affecting their bones or for patients who have received cancer treatment.

Neocis

Startup Neocis has developed the Yomi robot to assist with dental implant surgeries. Its functions revolve around keeping track of patients, managing treatments, and helping dentists be more accurate when treating implants. As robotics continues to make its way into dentistry, robots are expected to perform complete procedures on their own to avoid medical errors in the long run.

Spotimplant

Spotimplant.com is a website for dentists. It was developed by an implantologist and a team of artificial intelligence (AI) experts to address the problem of dental implant traceability. It provides practitioners with an AI-based service to automatically identify unknown implants. Simply upload an implant x-ray and the AI identifies it. Spotimplant then provides a comprehensive identification report with a list of implants that most closely match the one on the X-ray. It provides the necessary information for dentists to order the parts compatible with the identified implant system: exact reference, technical characteristics, dimensions, manufacturers' catalogs, etc.

In addition, Spotimplant has created a freely accessible implant search engine on its website. This is the largest implant database in the world, with over 300 brands and 3500 models.

Wrapping up

As we have seen with these new innovative services and tools, Artificial Intelligence is slowly integrating into the world of dentistry and will continue to do so over the next decades. Indeed, AI is not just a fad: today’s technologies deliver real results and unlock new opportunities to improve patient care.

Did we miss any AI applications in the dentistry sector? Let us know!