What technologies will change the way we see the dentist

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Operations in VR, robotic dentists, diagnostics using artificial intelligence. We are figuring out whether all these innovations have the right to exist.

Diagnostics at the level of artificial intelligence

Experts in various fields are pinning their hopes on artificial intelligence technologies today. Dentists are no exception. For example, some experts are confident that in the near future, artificial intelligence systems will help analyze and diagnose various diseases of the oral cavity and even independently propose treatment options, taking into account the characteristics of a particular patient and calculating all possible consequences.

The first steps in this direction have already been taken. Artificial intelligence company ParallelDots is already testing its cloud-based Dentistry. AI system in American clinics. The technology helps doctors find cavities in the teeth based on the analysis of X-rays. According to the developers, the algorithm determines in a few seconds the zones where caries is most likely to develop. This information helps the dentist to build a further plan for the examination and treatment of problem areas.

What is actually

Artificial intelligence is a very interesting and promising area, but the fact that in the near future this technology will be able to independently prescribe treatment to patients borders on fantasy. Yes, AI can perform some specific narrow tasks. For example, analyze X-ray images as shown in the example above. However, these results should not be fully relied on: it is impossible to determine the diagnosis from only one X-ray, this requires a comprehensive examination.

You also need to understand that while artificial intelligence still works according to a given algorithm.

Before an AI can independently determine a disease, it needs to provide all the information on all existing diseases, even if only in the field of dentistry. And here is a dead end, because no one possesses this information.

I'm not even talking about the fact that in medicine, in principle, there cannot be any algorithms, since each case is individual.

Dentist robots

Last fall, in China, a robot dentist independently operated on a Chinese robot dentist is first to fit implants in patient's mouth without any human involvement of the patient. The developers presented it as a solution to the painful problem of the Chinese - a huge shortage of qualified dentists. True, it was not possible to do without the help of doctors. The specialists set all the necessary parameters, adjusted the angle and direction of movement.

The operation was successful: the robot installed two implants, making an error of only 0.2–0.3 mm. The news instantly spread across the Internet, but most users admitted that they themselves would not have subscribed to such an experiment.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University hosted Are You OK with Having a Robot Dentist? online survey: what dental services are you willing to entrust to a robot? The respondents were offered 10 options for procedures: from basic teeth cleaning to surgical interventions. In total, more than 500 people took part in the study. The majority agreed to go to the robot for cleaning or whitening, and only 32% of those surveyed would not trust him even with such simple procedures. But when they were offered a 50% discount on the cost of a similar service from a qualified doctor, 83% of them changed their minds. There were only a few daredevils who were ready to install a crown or remove a tooth from an automated dentist.

What is actually

Of course, the fact that robots can already carry out operations on their own is an exaggeration. They can perform some specific action according to the parameters set by the doctor. But what happens if bleeding starts unexpectedly or the patient does not respond well to the anesthesia?

The robot does not yet have the common sense to independently make decisions and change the operation plan in non-standard situations. Unsurprisingly, most people would not dare to sit in his chair.

As for the online survey, it should be borne in mind that it was mainly attended by respondents from the United States, where dental services are very expensive. But even in such simple procedures, the robot can cause serious damage, since, for example, it does not feel the features of the tooth enamel. Therefore, I think that in the next 50 years, robots will not even be able to partially squeeze dentists, although this direction has great prospects.

VR surgery

The entertainment industry has been incorporating VR into its products for several years now. Today this technology is reaching a new level and gradually penetrating into other areas. Thus, virtual reality has become part of the educational training of future doctors.

Case Western Reserve University, together with Microsoft and HoloLens, has developed an anatomy course for medical universities: it allows you to study in detail the features of the human body in three-dimensional images.

The University of Pennsylvania Dental School uses VR to simulate surgeries and other procedures. This training prepares future dentists for their first real practice. In addition, it can be used by already experienced specialists for preliminary workout of complex operations.

What is actually

Virtual reality technology has great prospects both in dentistry and in medicine in general. First of all, I mean the multiple magnification, which gives the surgeon unlimited possibilities. When you have a small surgical field, and even in a hard-to-reach place, you have to adjust and work in an uncomfortable position, and this is a colossal load on the back and neck. Also, the eyes undergo constant re-accommodation (Reorganization of the focus of vision from near objects to distant ones and vice versa. - Ed.).

With VR, all these inconveniences are a thing of the past. For example, I already operate on patients in VR. The equipment had to be assembled on our own: it is a small microscope with two cameras, which is located above the patient's mouth, and VR glasses, to which a three-dimensional and enlarged image is broadcast. My microscope has 16x magnification, but you can get even more. This is not a problem today.

In addition, VR will play a significant role in the development of robotics: a robot necessarily needs stereoscopic vision in order to quickly and without human assistance react to what is happening during the operation.

Alternative to injections

For everyone who suffers from trypanophobia (fear of an injection) or algophobia (fear of pain), American developers have proposed a modern alternative to the syringe - computerized anesthesia. The device looks like a fountain pen with a super-thin needle hidden inside. The anesthetic is given before the puncture starts, so the patient doesn't feel anything at all.

At the same time, only the operated area is anesthetized, which means that there is no more mouth that is numb for several hours. In addition, the processor independently calculates the delivery rate and the amount of anesthetic agent, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. The technology has already passed the testing stage and is approved by the American Dental Association.

What is actually

I began to use computerized anesthesia six years ago after an internship abroad. Then I was sure that in 2-3 years this development will appear in almost every clinic, at least in Moscow and St. Petersburg. But that did not happen.

The fact is that this technology is convenient only for the patient. It is not profitable for the clinic: additional costs are required for equipment and its maintenance. In addition, computerized anesthesia requires more physician time. Still, there will come a time when clinics will have no choice, simply because the client demands it.

Conclusion

Of course, IT technologies open up endless possibilities in dentistry. The future belongs to them. But here it is important that developers and doctors walk towards this future together, solving real issues, and not painting fantastic pictures. Unfortunately or fortunately, no technology can replace the real specialist, at least for the coming decades.

First, it is impossible to load information on all diseases into a machine simply because no one has it.

Secondly, not a single technology has yet the intelligence to independently make decisions in non-standard cases that are constantly encountered in medicine.

And finally, no one has canceled the simple human attitude.