This article originally published in Group Dentistry Now.
Advances in artificial intelligence revolutionized how healthcare providers analyze data and improve patient outcomes. Now AI is transforming dentistry.
DSO leaders and private practice owners are implementing AI to equip their organizations with the technology needed to provide a higher level of care – and to increase treatment acceptance and revenue.
Here are four ways DSOs and private practices are integrating AI-assisted dentistry to help them achieve their 2023 goals:
Goal: Diagnose Accurately, Consistently and Efficiently
Dentists and hygienists are busy, and they don’t have much time with each patient. AI for X-ray analysis instantly analyzes and annotates the X-rays, providing objective data that doctors can use in their decision-making.
Additional benefits:
- Helps clinicians know where to quickly focus their attention
- Reduces second-guessing about what the X-ray shows
- Develops diagnostic confidence and consistency
Goal: Increase Case Acceptance
Too many patients still see dental work as optional. AI-assisted dentistry supports the dentist’s diagnosis by providing objective, third-party findings that transform traditional X-rays into a powerful educational tool.
Overjet’s AI technology, for example, is FDA-cleared to quantify bone level measurements, measuring from the CEJ to the crestal bone to help patients understand where they have bone loss and why their provider is recommending periodontal treatment.
It’s also the only AI solution that’s FDA-cleared to both detect and outline decay, which helps patients visualize the cavities and co-diagnose. It elevates patient-provider communication, builds trust, and leads to greater case acceptance.
Goal: Develop Team Members
AI-assisted dentistry helps providers elevate their diagnostic and case presentation skills. Plus, it helps make their job easier, which helps with retention.
DSOs and dental practices that are hiring in 2023 can also use AI as a competitive advantage. It shows the group invests in the technology and tools that improve patient care while making life easier for their team members.
Goal: Increase Efficiency and Save Time
Here are some of the areas where dental AI solutions like Overjet help practices increase efficiency and save time:
- Daily patients dashboard: Overjet reviews the X-rays from prior visits and information in the practice management system to identify services that may be needed, which helps team members optimize their schedule and increase production per visit..
- Diagnostic aid: The AI findings help providers know where to look so they can diagnose quickly and accurately.
- Case presentation: A picture’s worth a thousand words. Patients understand their oral health condition more quickly when they can see the AI annotations.
- Claim submissions: Reduce back-and-forth with insurance companies. Submit claims with greater confidence when the diagnosis is supported by quantified data.
Artificial Intelligence: The Future is Now
Providers and team members want to be able to make a positive difference in their patients’ lives. Artificial intelligence helps teams deliver excellent care. From giving dentists more information to accurately diagnose, to providing powerful visualization that elevates treatment acceptance, to giving dental carriers quantified information to support approving claims for medical necessity, AI will be an integral part of practices’ success in 2023.
