Experts Highlight Role of AI in Dental Practice

UK: In a recent session titled “Empowering your dental practice using AI and diagnostics,” Professor Falk Schwendicke, alongside Dr. Ingo Baresel, discussed the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing dental care. 

Professor Schwendicke, a leading expert on AI in dentistry, emphasized the potential of digital data to enable more personalized and precise care, marking a shift towards what he terms “P4 dentistry.”

Addressing the audience, Professor Schwendicke outlined how AI, particularly in imagery analysis, can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. 

He highlighted Align Technology’s development of Align X-Ray Insights, a browser-based software utilizing AI to diagnose dental pathologies from digital radiographs. This innovation not only enhances communication with patients but also provides an objective second opinion, augmenting dentists’ diagnostic capabilities.

Dr. Ingo Baresel’s Tips for Successful Intraoral Scanning

Augmenting Dentists’ Skills

Contrary to concerns about AI replacing human expertise, Professor Schwendicke emphasized its role in augmenting dentists’ skills. By detecting pathologies with high sensitivity, AI systems can compensate for human limitations and improve diagnostic accuracy. He stressed that AI will not replace dentists but rather empower them to deliver better patient care.

Dr. Ingo Baresel further underscored the importance of digital diagnostic tools, particularly the iTero digital scanner with near infra-red imaging technology (NIRI), in detecting and monitoring caries lesions. He highlighted the iTero scanner’s role in patient education and communication, enabling patients to visualize treatment outcomes and fostering greater acceptance of diagnoses.

From Data to Dentistry: AI’s Impact on Patient Care

Dr. Baresel shared his firsthand experience of how intraoral scanning and digital workflows have enhanced his clinical practice, making him a more effective dentist. He emphasized the transformative impact of technology in modern dentistry, particularly in early caries detection and comprehensive caries diagnostics.

Looking Towards the Future

As Align X-Ray Insights integrates into the Align Oral Health Suite, combining radiographic findings with NIRI imaging, Dr. Baresel expressed optimism about the future of dental diagnostics. 

He emphasized the pivotal role of scanning technologies in modern dentistry, not only for impression replacement but also for diagnostics, patient education, and communication.

The insights shared by Professor Schwendicke and Dr. Baresel underscore the transformative potential of AI in dentistry, reaffirming its role as a valuable tool for improving clinical outcomes and advancing dental practice.