Artificial Intelligence Revolutionizes Dentistry with Superior Dental Crown Creation

Artificial intelligence is playing an ever-expanding role in the health and wellness industry, helping with anything from identifying cancer to medical paperwork. AI might make it simpler for dentists to provide patients with a more functional, natural-looking grin. 

As per Fox News Report, according to a university press release, researchers at the University of Hong Kong recently created an AI system that employs 3D machine learning to create personalized dental crowns more than previous techniques. The AI examines data from the teeth next to the crown to achieve a more accurate, natural fit than crowns made using current techniques.  

The journal Dental Materials published the study’s findings. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) website, a dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap affixed over a natural-looking tooth or implant. Typically, a crown is used to restore the shape, strength, and look of a tooth that is broken, misshapen, weak, or discoloured. It may also replace a lost tooth when combined with an artificial implant. 

Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software are used to create most dental crowns. The statement noted that while this approach is a significant advancement over the conventional way of making crowns, it still has several drawbacks. Although the software uses a “tooth library” with crown designs, each patient’s specific demands must still be considered. 

According to the news release, “the two current methods of constructing dental crowns result in either excessively big or excessively thin crowns falling short of achieving the same lifespan as natural teeth.” 

According to Dr. Hao Ding, a co-investigator on the project, the researchers employed 3D machine learning technology in the Hong Kong study to “teach” the AI algorithm over 600 cases of natural and healthy dental results. 

The algorithm was taught the morphological characteristics of natural teeth throughout the training phase, enabling it to create dental crowns that are morphologically and functionally similar to natural teeth. The AI versions of the crowns outperformed the CAD/CAM ones in terms of both aesthetics and functionality, according to the researchers’ comparison of them. 

The owner of Austin Cosmetic Dentistry in Texas, Tejas Patel, did not participate in the University of Hong Kong study but did evaluate its results. 

Patel said that employing generative AI to produce “near-perfect” crowns would help save time and money. These procedures, he explained, “can more precisely create personalized crowns using previous data and mold them with enough precision to last almost as long as real teeth.” 

Furthermore, Patel added that by just taking images of their teeth, individuals might improve their oral health through generative AI in dentistry. 

“Dentists can easily upload patient images to diagnose illnesses,” he claimed. However, Patel noted that it might take some time before this technology is accessible in the United States due to the requirement for clinical trials. 

He projected that other researchers might discover it earlier, but patients won’t start benefiting from it until the following year or slightly later. Patel cautioned that privacy problems could be a problem.