Damian Gerikhanov discusses artificial intelligence in orthodontics and why he believes the future of pure alignment treatment planning is “bright and promising.”
The orthodontic industry is quickly finding ways to adopt artificial intelligence in treatment planning software to automate tedious and time-consuming tasks.
In fact, some digital treatment planners on the market can even reduce the time for some of these tasks by 95% – a task that used to take around 90 minutes can now be completed in around five minutes. All this thanks to the power of proprietary algorithms.
This automation is already helping orthodontists increase patient acceptance rates, improve patient outcomes, and increase aligner quality at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional solutions.
Some might assume that if we automate almost all of the manual work steps that go into treatment planning, there won’t be much work left for orthodontists or technicians. In fact, the opposite is true – the clinical expertise of physicians is nearly impossible to replace, and physician oversight is vital no matter how proficient the technology becomes.
This begs the question: What will happen when most – if not all – steps in treatment planning are automated? What big technological innovations are next for the orthodontic industry?
As the integration of artificial intelligence into orthodontics is poised to bring even more significant developments and impact the field in a variety of ways, here are four predictions for how I expect new technologies to change the orthodontic industry in the coming years…
1. Easier and better handling of more complex cases
One of the immediate benefits of artificial intelligence in orthodontics is its ability to handle complex cases with greater ease than ever before.
AI can provide valuable insights and recommendations because it draws expertise from thousands of cases. It allows even general practitioners to have more insight into the patient’s condition.
This democratization of expertise can lead to more efficient orthodontic care.
2. Chatbots powered by AI
AI-powered chatbots will improve the treatment planning experience by providing quick answers to common questions.
Currently, when a treatment planning individual relies on the expertise or manual assistance of a remote technician to create or adjust a treatment plan, it can take 24 to 48 hours to receive requested changes or feedback. Then, once they get an answer, it can prompt even more questions or adjustments to the plan.
As a result, the question and answer feedback loop can take days or weeks, greatly delaying treatment planning time.
On the other hand, in a world where chatbot assistance is commonplace, technicians can get instant information and answers to routine questions, improving communication and eliminating wait times for answers.
AI-powered chatbots will be capable of answering questions because they will be able to distill the expertise and input of doctors and thousands of cases to provide real-time feedback. This will help make treatment planning much faster and more accurate because it can also help reduce human error.
AI chatbots could eventually be able to perform tasks that normally require manual intervention from the user. The user could give free-form instructions to the AI and it would then perform the corresponding set of actions to achieve the desired result. This interaction would resemble a typical chatbot exchange, with the user able to provide clarification while the chatbot dynamically applies changes in near real-time.
Additionally, if the user chooses to do some tasks themselves, the chatbot can hypothetically observe the user’s actions and provide suggestions for possible improvements, thereby improving the overall user experience.
3. Better patient education and communication
New technologies can help educate patients by providing visual aids and explanations of treatment procedures. Patients can better understand their orthodontic issues and recommended solutions, leading to more informed decision-making and potentially higher treatment compliance.
I predict that patient-facing apps will become a useful tool. Today, there are a few solutions that allow patients to use their smartphones to upload photos and videos of their faces that are then overlaid with predicted results to help patients visualize potential outcomes.
The problem is that this technology is still early days, so it’s not as accurate or informative as it could be. In the future, I believe this technology will not only help improve diagnosis and problem identification, but will become commonplace and used by all doctors to help patients see what their new and improved smile will look like.
4. Interdisciplinary approach
Orthodontics is often thought of as a stand-alone science, when in reality oral care is so intertwined with the entire human body.
For example, if the teeth are not aligned properly it can cause problems with breathing, blood circulation and more. Postural and spinal issues can often be closely related to orthodontic conditions. That is why the most important prediction I have is that the integration of orthodontics with other medical disciplines will be revolutionary in providing holistic, comprehensive care.
Addressing general health and wellness by considering the interconnection of oral health with overall health is an exciting prospect that I predict will become more mainstream over the next 10 years. And artificial intelligence can play a critical role in facilitating this cross-disciplinary approach.
The next generation of oral care: concerns and reflections
There are ethical concerns associated with the use of artificial intelligence in orthodontics that we need to address. As AI becomes a more integral part of the decision-making process, it is important to ensure transparency and accountability. Patients need to be aware of the role of artificial intelligence in their treatment and understand that it is a tool that assists, not replaces, human expertise.
In addition, there should be mechanisms for validating AI-generated treatment plans and collecting real-world data after processing to improve AI systems and address software deficiencies.
While AI can assist in treatment planning and decision making, the ultimate responsibility still rests with the treatment provider. It is important for orthodontists to interpret and validate AI-generated recommendations, ensuring they are aligned with the patient’s best interests.
AI is only a tool to provide information and inform decisions, so it’s important to note that just because doctors will have access to unprecedented technology, at the end of the day the doctor will always have to make the final call.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the overall patient experience in orthodontics by providing more efficient and accurate treatment planning, improved communication and better diagnostics.
One thing remains clear: the future of the field of orthodontics is bright and promising.
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