Olymp Clinic dentist Allahverdieva Ramila Kamalovna told about AI in dentistry.
How did the use of AI in medicine begin?
The first application of artificial intelligence in medicine began in the 1960s, when programs for the diagnosis of diseases appeared. One such system was MYCIN, developed at Stanford University. MYCIN used a set of rules for the diagnosis of bacterial infections and recommendations on the choice of antibiotics. Although the program was never used in clinical practice due to the limitations of that time, it was an important step in the development of AI in medicine and showed how computers can help doctors make decisions.
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence will become a key part of digital health systems that shape and support modern medicine.
How does AI help the patient and the doctor understand each other better?
The specialist's task is not only to provide medical care, but also to be able to tell the patient about his current state of health and explain each stage of treatment.
For example, Digital Smile Design (DSD) technology allows you to simulate the future "smile" of a patient, which will fully correspond to his functional and aesthetic desires. This technology breaks down the "wall" in the conversation between the dentist and the patient, making the treatment planning process more transparent, interactive and understandable. The patient can see the preliminary result even before the operation, as well as participate in its modeling.
Treatment with AI
Now let's tell you what AI is capable of in dentistry.
Robotic surgery — precision operations, minimal intervention. Example: an autonomous robot controlled by artificial intelligence performed a dental operation on its own.
Development of individual treatment plans that take into account the anatomical features of the patient and use 3D modeling.
Creation of individual prostheses and crowns using 3D printing.
Reduction of pain during dental procedures.
Will the robot be able to replace the doctor?
Robotic surgeons already exist, for example, the Da Vinci system for minimally invasive surgery, which allows operations to be performed with high precision. But the robot is controlled by the surgeon through a console using manipulators and a camera, which provides a better visualization of the process.
Doctors still monitor every stage of the procedure/operation, using AI as a tool to perform complex manipulations.
A complete replacement of a person in difficult cases remains unlikely for several reasons:
Ethical issues: Decision-making during a procedure/operation requires not only technical precision, but also medical intuition and an ethical approach, which are still best handled by a person.
Responsibility: In case of complications or errors, it is necessary to determine who is responsible for the consequences — the doctor or the robotic system. This issue has not yet been resolved either from a legal or moral point of view.
Complexity of tasks: Some procedures/operations require not only precision, but also flexibility of thinking, creativity and the ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances, which is not yet available to AI.
In the coming decades, robots will play an increasingly important role in medicine, performing tasks that require high precision. However, they will most likely work closely with doctors who will make key decisions and be responsible for the results. The complete replacement of man in medicine remains in the field of science fiction.
What is the danger of AI in medicine?
Although artificial intelligence has already become an important part of medicine, the question arises in professional circles: how reliable is AI really and what risks are associated with its use?
Errors and shortcomings of algorithms
There are cases when algorithms designed to detect diseases turn out to be unreliable. For example, the Epic Sepsis Model (ESM), created by Epic Systems, one of the largest electronic medical records management companies in the United States, was designed to predict sepsis, one of the main causes of death in hospitals. Although the developers claimed that the accuracy of the model reaches 83%, no independent tests have been conducted to confirm this figure. Studies have shown that out of 2,500 patients with sepsis, the ESM model failed to recognize the disease in 67% of cases, and in 88% of cases, the system misdiagnosed sepsis in healthy patients.
Personnel changes
In the future, the active introduction of AI into medicine may lead to changes in the staff. Although neural networks will not replace qualified specialists, they can significantly improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment in collaboration with doctors.
Data privacy
The issue of protecting patients' personal information is becoming more relevant with the development of technology. Data leakage can occur not only as a result of hacker attacks, but also when AI systems begin to predict patient information, even if algorithms have not been trained on such data. This raises concerns about the safety of confidential information.
AI at Olympus Clinics
At Olympus Clinics, our dentists use an intraoral 3D scanner, a device for obtaining a three-dimensional digital model of the patient's oral cavity, including teeth and soft tissues. Our doctors use this scanner for diagnosis, treatment planning and manufacturing of prostheses, crowns, veneers and other dental structures. Traditional methods of impression removal, such as the use of silicone or alginate masses, can cause discomfort, especially in patients with a sensitive gag reflex. The intraoral scanner allows you to scan quickly and without contact with irritating materials. With it, you can scan the oral cavity and send the results to the laboratory at the same time. This simplifies logistics, especially if the laboratory is far away.
To sum up: Robots will not replace dentists, because dentistry requires not only technical accuracy, but also analysis, an individual approach to the patient and the ability to make decisions in non-standard situations. In addition, communication and empathy remain key aspects that machines cannot fully reproduce.
Would you entrust AI with the treatment and diagnosis of dental problems?