Artificial Intelligence Way to Save your Tooth

A newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) platform could revolutionize dentistry by helping dentists to read radiographs for tooth decay accurately.

An artificial intelligence (AI) platform developed by the University of Surrey, in partnership with King's College London, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, and Oral Health Foundation, identifies abnormalities in tooth structures by reading the radiographs taken. This helps dentists to detect tooth decay and gum diseases far better.

Tooth decay (also called cavities or caries) is caused by bacteria in the plaque on your teeth, sweet foods and drinks, and a lack of oral hygiene. It can harm your teeth and cause a lot of pain, and may even result in tooth loss ().

Tooth Decay
Tooth decay in toddlers, children and adults, also called dental caries, is a bacterial infection causing demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues of the teeth.

‘Utilizing an artificial intelligence model to recognize abnormalities in tooth structures, helps dentists to detect tooth decay more effectively.#ToothDecay #Artificial intelligence #Dentsitry’

All a dentist needs to do to diagnose tooth decay is to take a close look at your teeth. X-rays can also be used to tell how much the teeth have decayed – and whether the spaces between your teeth or under any fillings are affected. Now, it’s much easier.

New AI Program May Soon Be Dentist’s Most Trusted Assistant

This new revolutionary discovery in dentistry assists dentists and dental students to read radiographs (X-rays) more accurately. Funded with £1.55 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), this project aims to create a comprehensive solution for collecting and annotating dental radiographs, while also assisting with disease diagnosis in a clinical setting ().

The technology could save valuable time and money if rolled out more widely, enabling dentists to have abnormalities pop up in front of them and read radiograms with higher accuracy.

This next phase of the project is incredibly exciting as we work collaboratively to build a working prototype suitable for real-life clinical settings. Efforts so far have included gathering a representative set of annotated radiograms and training a custom-built AI model on dental disease detection. Researchers look forward to comprehensive outcomes over the next few years.

Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are considered as the quickest, safest and pain-free method to prevent cavities. Dental sealants are also known as pit and fissure sealants.

AI systems that support more accurate diagnosis and clinical decision-making will help patients, but they must be trustworthy. Researchers support this project by providing dental expertise and consideration of the needs of end-users.

References:

Oral diagnosis and treatment planning: part 2. Dental caries and assessment of risk - (https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2012.615)
Dentists could soon have a new AI co-pilot to detect tooth decay - (https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/dentists-could-soon-have-new-ai-co-pilot-detect-tooth-decay)

Diet and Oral Health: The Sugary Connection May Become Sour
How does diet affect oral health? A diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars can lead to plaque formation and gum infection.

Source-Eurekalert

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