A Tool Like Any Other

Although artificial intelligence (AI) was once regarded as the stuff of science fiction, today, it is already a part of many of the technologies that people use to improve their lives on a day-to-day basis. In dentistry, the incorporation of AI into technologies isn't a new phenomenon, but as the systems and devices that leverage it continue to proliferate, adoption is expanding. For this month's cover story, Inside Dentistry spoke with some early adopters of AI-powered technologies from across the industry to learn about the different benefits that they've realized, the challenges that they've faced, and what may lie ahead.

Presently, the systems that I use in practice don't incorporate AI modules, but I've heard nothing but good things from my peers, and I embrace the technology for its potential and how I'll be able to leverage it when it's time to upgrade. As the adoption of AI has increased, so has the debate regarding its ethical use. Although no one is likely to challenge the use of AI in practice management software to improve patient conversion, its use in diagnostic applications, such as for caries detection in imaging software, has raised some concerns among patients and practitioners alike. The key to alleviating these concerns is in how the use of AI is approached. AI should be viewed as a tool like any of the others that we use in diagnosis. As the cover story notes, AI is just like having a colleague offer a second opinion; it is still the dentist who uses his or her education, experience, and judgement to make the final call regarding treatment decisions. AI provides clinical decision support; it doesn't do your clinical decision-making for you.

Among other great articles in this month's issue, we have an excellent CE on external cervical resorption. We see cases involving resorption quite a bit in our practice. Such lesions were more difficult to detect with traditional radiography, but with the increased use of cone-beam computed tomography, they are able to be diagnosed more readily, making it important for dentists to be able to differentiate between the types for appropriate treatment.

Later this month, I'll be lecturing at the Chicago Dental Society's 2024 Midwinter Meeting. Come and say hi and let me know what you think of the magazine!

Robert C. Margeas, DDS
Editor-in-Chief, Inside Dentistry
Private Practice, Des Moines, Iowa

Adjunct Professor
Department of Operative Dentistry
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
robert.margeas@broadcastmed.com