Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: The Present Pulse and the Path Ahead

Prologue – The Steps at St. Stephen’s Green

It was a misty afternoon in Dublin, the kind that drapes the city in a poetic hush. Alexandra, her auburn hair catching the grey light, sat cross-legged on the worn stone steps of the chapel near St. Stephen’s Green. Her fingers glided across the screen of her iPad, where she had been devouring articles from DentistryUnited. A leading voice in Europe’s oral healthcare transformation, she had just wrapped up another guest lecture—this time in Budapest—on the synergy of tech and dentistry.

What caught her today was a blog authored by Syed Nabeel, a quiet but piercing voice she’d come across during a serendipitous encounter in November 2024. That month, Nabeel had been visiting Dublin for work at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).Alexandra had met him at a friend’s gathering—an  evening  peppered with saffron rice, Turkish tea, and a shared fascination with the future of dentistry

Months later, scrolling through his reply to Samantha’s email on the impact of AI across dental specialties, she tapped her screen with a smile. Then, almost without thinking, she rang him: “Nabeel, you have to write a blog on the state of AI in dentistry today…and where we need to go next.”

Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: The Present Pulse and the Path Ahead

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming dentistry by enhancing diagnostics, treatment planning, and patient care. Here are the latest advancements in AI applications within dentistry, based on recent developments:

1. AI-Powered Imaging and Diagnostics

• Enhanced Image Analysis: AI algorithms, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and deep learning models, are being used to analyze dental images such as X-rays, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), intraoral scans, and digital photographs. These systems can detect dental conditions like caries, periodontal diseases, root fractures, and oral cancers with high accuracy, often identifying early-stage issues that human clinicians might miss. For example, AI can pinpoint subtle changes at the pixel level in radiographic images, improving early detection of premalignant or malignant lesions.
   
   
• Automated Detection: Tools like dentalXrai Pro use neural networks to analyze digitized X-rays, instantly suggesting diagnoses for caries, infections, or root canal issues, saving time and increasing diagnostic precision.
   
• Recent Example: Posts on X highlight the DentalMonitoring ScanBox, a device that allows patients to perform AI-powered dental scans at home using smartphones, detecting up to 89% of dental diseases accurately.
   
   
   

2. Treatment Planning and Personalization

• Predictive Analytics: AI systems leverage patient data (e.g., medical history, lifestyle, and genetic predispositions) to create personalized treatment plans for orthodontics, implantology, and restorative dentistry. These systems predict treatment outcomes and optimize plans for procedures like dental implant placement or smile design.
   
   

  Digital Twins: A cutting-edge trend involves using digital twins—virtual models of a patient’s mouth created from 3D scans and X-rays. These allow dentists to simulate treatment outcomes, plan surgeries, and predict long-term effects of dental diseases, enhancing precision in orthodontics and implantology.

   
• Prognosis Prediction: AI models, such as those using machine learning, can forecast the success of procedures like endodontic retreatment or the viability of dental pulp stem cells, aiding in complex decision-making.
   

3. Robotics and Automation

• AI-Driven Robotics: Robotics integrated with AI is being explored for automating repetitive tasks like tooth preparation, implant placement, and orthodontic adjustments. A notable example is Perceptive’s AI-driven robot, which completed a dental procedure eight times faster than a human dentist, using 3D volumetric scanners for precise mouth modeling.
   
• Voice-Controlled Dental Chairs: Advanced dental chairs now incorporate AI to respond to voice commands, monitor patient vitals, and adjust settings, reducing manual tasks and enhancing patient comfort.
   

4. Teledentistry and Patient Engagement

• AI-Powered Virtual Assistants: AI chatbots and virtual assistants are streamlining administrative tasks, scheduling, and patient communication. These tools also support tele-dentistry, enabling remote consultations and early disease detection via portable AI-equipped devices, particularly benefiting underserved populations.
   
   
• Patient Education: Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) powered by AI are used to visualize treatment outcomes (e.g., prosthetics or orthodontic results) and educate patients. AR overlays digital information onto real-world dental environments, aiding both patients and clinicians.
   

5. Dental Education and Training

• Intelligent Tutoring Systems: AI is revolutionizing dental education by creating virtual patient simulations for preclinical training. These systems provide real-time feedback, allowing students to develop skills faster and safer than with traditional simulators.
   
• Unified Medical Language System (UMLS): AI-powered UMLS enhances dental education by simulating realistic clinical scenarios, reducing risks associated with live-patient training.
   

6. 3D Printing Integration

• AI and 3D Printing: AI is paired with 3D printing to produce precise dental implants, crowns, and orthodontic devices in hours rather than weeks. AI algorithms optimize designs to match patient anatomy, improving fit and treatment outcomes.
   
• Orthodontics and Prosthodontics: AI-driven 3D printing enhances the production of custom braces, aligners, and implants, increasing efficiency and patient satisfaction.
   

7. Challenges and Limitations

• Data Quality and Availability: AI systems require large, high-quality, anonymized datasets for training. Limited access to properly labeled dental datasets and compliance with regulations like HIPAA pose challenges.
   
• Interpretability: Neural networks, while effective, often lack transparency, making it difficult for clinicians to fully understand AI-generated decisions.
   
• Ethical Concerns: Issues like data security, fairness, and bias in AI training data need addressing to ensure responsible use. The FDA’s clearance of AI dental platforms doesn’t yet regulate fairness, necessitating further guidelines.
   
• Adoption in Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs): AI research and application in dentistry are limited in LMICs, with most studies focusing on orthodontics. Gaps in cost utility and patient experience data hinder widespread adoption.

• Comprehensive Care Systems: AI is expected to evolve into comprehensive care systems that integrate diagnostics, treatment planning, and patient management, enhancing decision-making and research.
   
• Ethical Implementation: Future research will focus on improving data quality, developing interpretable AI models, and addressing ethical considerations like transparency and accountability.
   
• Global Accessibility: AI-driven tele-dentistry and portable diagnostic devices aim to bridge oral health disparities, particularly in underserved regions.
   
• Collaborative Approach: Experts emphasize that AI should complement, not replace, human clinicians, fostering a partnership that enhances patient care while maintaining human empathy and judgment.

AI in dentistry is advancing rapidly, with applications in imaging, treatment planning, robotics, and education improving efficiency and patient outcomes. Innovations like the DentalMonitoring ScanBox and Perceptive’s AI-driven robot highlight practical implementations, while digital twins and 3D printing push personalization. However, challenges like data quality, interpretability, and ethical concerns must be addressed to fully realize AI’s potential. Continued research and collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and engineers will shape a future where AI enhances, but does not replace, human expertise in dentistry

Epilogue – Letters Across Time

Alexandra closed her iPad and stood, the soft drizzle kissing her cheeks as she made her way toward Dawson Street. In her mind, she imagined young dentists of the future—armed not just with forceps and burs, but with algorithms, ethics, empathy, and imagination.

Across the Irish Sea, Nabeel might be in India, or perhaps preparing for his next lecture . Their shared hope had found a voice—clear, thoughtful, and rooted in practice. The landscape of dentistry was shifting, and with it, the dreams of those daring enough to shape it.

Dr. Syed Nabeel, BDS, D.Orth, MFD RCS (Ireland), MFDS RCPS (Glasgow)
Committed to Orthodontics, Neuromuscular Dentistry & Digital Innovation

Dr. Syed Nabeel is a dentist with 25 years of experience, passionate about patient care, education, and the evolving role of technology in dentistry. He leads Smile Maker Clinics Pvt Ltd with a focus on evidence-based care, TMJ treatment, smile design, and orthodontics.

He founded DentistryUnited.com in 2004 to connect dental professionals globally and launched Dental Follicle – The E-Journal of Dentistry (ISSN 2230-9489) to support academic exchange.

His interests include:

• Neuromuscular Dentistry & TMJ Care

• Orthodontics – Braces, Aligners & Digital Planning

• AI & Digital Workflows in Dentistry

A lifelong learner, Dr. Nabeel also mentors young dentists and speaks on clinical topics, digital dentistry, and practice management. Outside the clinic, he enjoys photography, gardening, and travel.

Grateful to his mentors, peers, and patients, he believes there’s always more to learn and share.

dentistryunited@gmail.com
www.DentistryUnited.com