Artificial Intelligence: the Blind Spot for Dentists, Dental Practices, and Dsos

The New York Times’ recent article “Building AI That Can Build AI” should be a wake-up call to the industry. But, as it has been to most disruptive changes that appear on the horizon, dentistry is visionless.

“ML is short for machine learning, referring to computer algorithms that can learn to perform particular tasks on their own by analyzing data. AutoML, in turn, is a machine-learning algorithm that learns to build other machine-learning algorithms.”

- Cade Metz, Nov. 5, 2017, The New York Times

Currently, there are platforms in dentistry that, when fed diagnostic information, will deliver an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan based on the presented evidence. Using cloud computing, AI, and Big Data, patients, dentists and insurance companies will be able to view this information. Patients will be able to easily see treatment recommendations, along with costs, risks, and which dentist delivers the best result for that treatment. Cosmetic-procedure upselling will still exist, but patients - those who make appointments for dentistry, not for cosmetic enhancements - will have evidence-based information about their dental conditions and corresponding treatments.

How is dentistry preparing for AI? They’re not - it’s business as usual. Those dental entrepreneurs who are following AI realize that AI will dramatically alter how dentistry is diagnosed, how dental treatments are planned, how dentists are selected, how patients are informed, and how dentistry gets paid for. These entrepreneurs will be the winners in the future.

Harnessing the Future of AI

Large internet and software entities like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon are developing all sorts of tools that will make it easier for any operation to build its own AI software, including things like image and speech recognition services and online chatbots.

It would not surprise me if the ADSO put its money into AI, and if AI software is privately developed for their DSO membership. This would powerfully accelerate DSOs growth and eventual dominance. In fact, if I were them, I would invest in AI. The rest of dentistry is too fragmented to coalesce behind a coordinated AI effort, but DSOs via the ADSO are not.

AI is the future: there is no doubt about it. And like all other technologies, those who get there first - who corner the market, become the first movers and shakers - are the winners.

- Marc

Charles Jennings, a leader in AI, will be a featured speaker at our 2018 Future of Dentistry Summit. He’ll address what AI is, how it works, and what it will do for the dental industry.