Empowering Modern Dentistry: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Patient Care and Clinical Decision Making

Abstract

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to catalyze a transformative shift across diverse dental disciplines including endodontics, oral radiology, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry. This narrative review delineates the burgeoning role of AI in enhancing diagnostic precision, streamlining treatment planning, and potentially unveiling innovative therapeutic modalities, thereby elevating patient care standards. Recent analyses corroborate the superiority of AI-assisted methodologies over conventional techniques, affirming their capacity for personalization, accuracy, and efficiency in dental care. Central to these AI applications are convolutional neural networks and deep learning models, which have demonstrated efficacy in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic decision making, in some instances surpassing traditional methods in complex cases. Despite these advancements, the integration of AI into clinical practice is accompanied by challenges, such as data security concerns, the demand for transparency in AI-generated outcomes, and the imperative for ongoing validation to establish the reliability and applicability of AI tools. This review underscores the prospective benefits of AI in dental practice, envisioning AI not as a replacement for dental professionals but as an adjunctive tool that fortifies the dental profession. While AI heralds improvements in diagnostics, treatment planning, and personalized care, ethical and practical considerations must be meticulously navigated to ensure responsible development of AI in dentistry.