Rapid developments in dental AI were unveiled to the international dental community at IDS 2023, but how far will this technology go?
It didn’t take a big vision to predict that dental AI could feature prominently at IDS 2023, even before the first visitors set foot on German soil.
In an instant, AI has taken over the public consciousness. For many, technology has gone from science fiction to amazingly functional in less than a year of his life.
But models like the chatGPT 4 and Dall-E, though impressive and flashy, are just the tip of a very large iceberg. AI has quietly permeated our daily lives for years.
And dentistry is no exception. Behind the scenes, a quiet revolution is taking place in this industry.
With IDS 2023, everything has changed. The dental AI revolution has arrived – and in bombastic style.
What is AI
IBM defines AI as “using computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making abilities of the human mind.”
This is not new technology for dental offices. AI is already doing a great job supporting many processes in dentistry.
Imaging software that identifies potential carious lesions on radiographs? Dental AI is proudly in action.
Any suggestions for a chairside milling unit or CAD/CAM software restoration? Again, we’re powered by dental AI.
A chat client that helps website visitors book online or answer questions? Well…you guessed it.
But while these applications are useful, they didn’t have the “wow” factor of Chat-GPT. until now.
Simply put, dental AI on display at IDS 2023 was everywhere. And in the biggest stands, for many it was front and center.
promising potential
So what happens?
Forget diagnostic aids. it already is. (But it only gets better!)
Smart money lies in diagnostic aids integrated with practice management and calendar systems to enhance predictive scheduling and prompting based directly on existing needs and potential treatments.
The future of therapy is bright. Guided surgery is just the starting point. Surgeons can expect more accurate, detailed and, above all, trusted treatment plans that bring multidisciplinary experience and best practices, even if clinicians themselves do not have that knowledge.
The potential in areas such as complex oral and maxillofacial surgery is particularly promising. Take cleft lip surgery, for example, where Operation Smile and Microsoft partnered on his AI-powered tools to improve outcomes. By comparing the before and after photos, the AI can evaluate the results. Rapid notification of outcomes to the surgeon provides many benefits, but the end result is an order of magnitude more predictable treatment. Not life-changing surgical feats like these.
The future of dental AI
Applications like this are set to make a tangible difference for clinicians, but it’s the patient-facing apps that are of interest. Perhaps the most visually stimulating innovation in the entire show was the AI-assisted smile demonstration demonstration.
Smile mockups are not new, nor are they digitally processed “smile samples.” But these tend to be time consuming to create physically or visually computer generated.
They pale in comparison to watching them unfold photorealistically in real-time video. In a world where Snapchat video filters riot, AI-powered smile makeover videos are amazing.
For a long time, the potential of dental AI was in the future and out of reach. But a gradual shift in technology is happening now. Evidence could be seen on screens and stands in Cologne.
There can be no doubt. Dental AI is here and ready to change the world.
