Artificial Intelligence: An Innovative Approach in Orthodontics: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The present article aims to describe how Artificial Intelligence (AI) assists orthodontics with its potent algorithms for identification and prediction, aiding medical professionals in making better treatment choices. AI is a valuable tool for helping orthodontists determine the best approach for moving teeth with orthodontic appliances to predetermined positions. Symbolic AI, an expertise system based on human comprehension of a problem, organises knowledge into algorithmic structures. While it remains applicable for problem-solving with limited potential outcomes and the need for human explainability, building rule-based models in complex healthcare scenarios with multiple explanatory variables proves exceptionally challenging, if not impossible. However, modern AI often overlooks oral disorders, fails to fully incorporate facial analysis into its models, and neglects functional issues when developing remedies. Nonetheless, AI does improve imaging, diagnosis, specificity, and more in various situations, from identifying syndromes to detecting caries. Orthodontic diagnosis is complex, involving the simultaneous assessment of multiple facial features from different perspectives. Digital dentistry tools and AI-driven automation solutions have streamlined the process by digitally recording patient history and reducing diagnostic variations, benefiting both diagnosis and treatment. With its problem-solving capabilities, AI is starting to provide orthodontists with more powerful resources to deliver higher standards of care. AI-based technology can be utilised to gain new insights from various types of medical data. The present article aims to provide a concise overview of the use of AI in orthodontic care. The literature review is divided into six categories: extraction or non extraction therapy in orthodontic treatment, orthognathic surgery, segmentation and landmark identification, growth prediction, cleft-related studies, and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) classification.