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Gum disease (periodontitis) affects more than 47% of Americans – or nearly 65 million people – including former Major League Baseball player Alex Rodriguez, who recently announced he has the condition.
As artificial intelligence continues to expand into dental and medical applications, dentists rely on the technology to quickly and accurately detect and prevent periodontitis, tooth decay, bone loss and other gum health problems.
Now VideaHealth, a Boston-based medical technology company, has created a dental AI platform available to 90% of dental offices in the US, the company said.
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The FDA-approved system analyzes patients’ X-rays using an algorithm trained on hundreds of millions of data points — more than 50 times the number of X-rays most dentists see in a lifetime, according to the company — to provide treatment recommendations for patients .
“VideaAI allows dentists to examine x-rays for cavities and radiographic bone-level findings by comparing them to our AI algorithms,” Boston-based Florian Hillen, founder and CEO of VideaHealth and an AI researcher at Harvard Business School, told Fox. News Digital.
Dentists use VideaHealth’s technology to quickly and accurately detect and prevent periodontitis, tooth decay, bone loss and other gum problems. (VideoHealth/iStock)
Traditional dental screenings use X-ray analysis for diagnosis and treatment planning — but 50% of tooth decay is missed and 30% results in a misdiagnosis, he also said.
His company’s system “identifies 43% more cavities and reduces the error rate of misdiagnoses by 50%, and also reduces false positives by 15%,” he said.
“Our analysis enables more accurate diagnoses and better preventive care.”
AI a ‘great equalizer’ for dentists, patients
In addition to faster, more accurate findings, VideaAI also gives dentists the data and confidence to better engage with their patients, Hillen said.
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“It also helps dentists achieve more streamlined workflows in their offices, resulting in fewer human errors and mistakes,” he added.
For patients, the AI tool helps improve their dental health by catching cavities, abscesses, lesions and oral disease before these problems develop into much bigger problems.
“With proper dental care, the risk of medical complications from diabetes, heart disease and other diseases can be significantly reduced,” said Hillen.
VideaHealth, a Boston-based medical technology company, has created a dental AI platform that is now available to 90% of US dental practices. The CEO, Florian Hillen, is pictured on the far right, while second from the right is Michael A. Scialabba, DDS, of 42 North Dental, using the platform. (VideoHealth)
AI also helps boost patient confidence by showing them “the full picture,” Hillen said.
“Today, many dental relationships are asymmetric,” he said. “Patients don’t know if they need the X-rays or the treatment plan — and sometimes they want treatment they don’t need.”
Historically, patients don’t always accept their dentist’s recommendations, Hillen noted — “usually they don’t,” he said.
As a result, dental problems continue to worsen until there is a significant problem.
Fifty percent of tooth decay is missed and 30% results in a misdiagnosis.
“You wouldn’t walk around with an infection in your finger — you’d treat it and get rid of the problem immediately,” he said.
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“So why are so many adults walking around with mouth infections? And do they even know they increase their risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems and dementia?”
Hillen said he sees AI as “the great equalizer” in that it can provide unbiased, data-driven analysis that the dentist and patient can review and discuss together.
“With AI, findings are easier to explain to patients, who trust their dentist more — meaning patients are more likely to continue with necessary treatments rather than delay care,” he said.
VideoAI in action
A dental service organization in Boston called 42 North Dental was one of the first adopters of the VideaAI tool.
“We strongly believe in technology and help our physicians provide the best possible care,” Michael A. Scialabba, DDS, the Boston-based company’s chief clinical officer, told Fox News Digital.
“AI is essential for practitioners because it is unbiased and gives us the ability to identify lesions that we could miss without.”
“With VideoAI, dentists can examine x-rays for cavities and radiographic findings at the bone level, and compare them with our AI algorithms,” the company’s CEO, Florian Hillen, told Fox News Digital. (VideoHealth)
When 42 North Dental started reviewing dental AI options, the dentists first examined more than 100 images with the naked eye.
When they looked at those same images again with VideaAI, they found nearly 20% more holes, Scialabba said.
The practice has also seen a 20% increase in treatment acceptance rates.
“The common misconception is that dentists overdiagnose, but this is not correct,” Scialabba said.
The practice has also seen a 20% increase in treatment acceptance rates.
On the contrary, he said, “dentists are conservative and underdiagnosis is the bigger problem. VideaAI can help us see problems before they are visible to the naked eye so we can make recommendations and prevent bigger problems.”
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Implementing AI has helped 42 North Dental avoid mistakes, reduce missed diagnoses and improve oral health by detecting cavities and early bone loss, which is indicative of gum disease, Scialabba said.
“This will contribute to better overall health and reduce the incidence of chronic disease,” he said. “Increasingly, AI in dentistry can help detect and prevent problems ranging from diabetes to cardiovascular disease and early onset dementia.”
He added: “This is not ambitious – this is the truth.”
While dental AI has been shown to improve outcomes for patients and efficiency for practices, it’s not meant to replace trained professionals, experts say. (VideoHealth)
The practice’s patients have also enjoyed a clearer, more visual window into their own dental health, Scialabba said.
“Patients now have an unbiased and data-based understanding of their X-rays and diagnosis,” he said. “AI removes the emotion and bias from both the dentist and the patient, providing a simple way to talk about treatment plans based on the facts.”
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He added: “This approach puts more control in the hands of patients so they can make the smartest and most meaningful decision for their oral care.”
More than a year after implementing VideaAI, 42 North Dental is now rolling out the technology to all of its locations.
No substitute for ‘human experience’
While dental AI has been shown to improve outcomes for patients and efficiency for practices, it’s not meant to replace trained professionals, experts say.
“Dentists and dental hygienists will always be a critical part of the equation in disease diagnosis because they have the context of years of experience, patient history and personal exams,” Scialabba told Fox News Digital.
“AI in dentistry can help detect and prevent problems ranging from diabetes to cardiovascular disease and early onset dementia.”
“Ultimately it’s a combination of AI and the use of human experience – a tool for the dentists to use,” he added.
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In addition to analyzing X-rays, Scialabba said clinicians serve as collaborators, advisors, educators and partners to their patients — and AI helps them provide the best possible care.
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“The clinical experience and insights that dental professionals bring to the table cannot be underestimated, but the AI provides objective, consistent observations that should be taken into account when making their decisions and recommendations,” he added.
Melissa Rudy is a health editor and member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
