Artificial intelligence: what it is and what it can do for dentists

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly relevant topic for dental clinicians, with AI applications entering the clinical arena at a high pace. This article outlines what AI is, how it works, what its application fields are, but also what challenges the profession faces now and in the future. Computer vision, language processing, simulation and precision dentistry are the main fields where AI is, or will be, applied in dentistry. The ability to be generalizable to external data sources, be accurate, useful and easy to explain are the main cornerstones of AI for health applications. Clinicians should be able to appraise AI applications before integrating them in their daily workflow. AI will be useful for synthesizing an increasing amount of data in dentistry, allowing more automated, efficient and precise care. Certain tools will also facilitate patient communication and documentation. Dentists should critically evaluate AI against certain quality criteria and standards. CPD/Clinical Relevance: It is important to be aware of the applications of artificial intelligence in dentistry.