Will AI Replace Dentists anytime soon?



I have been reading a lot about Artificial Intelligence impacting all sorts of professions. I found this quote byf Bill Gates on a website called Make it. 

BillI Gates: Within 10 years, AI will replace many doctors and teachers—humans won’t be needed ‘for most thing—humans won’t be needed ‘for most things’

Artificial intelligence is already making in roads in all professions and obviously will have a greater and greater impact on all health professions in the forseeable future ( the next 10 years).

While I don't think expert health professionals will be completely replaced in immediate future, there will be greater and greater use of Artificial assist technology, probably reducing the  numbers of experts health professionals that are needed. 

This week we have been using our new 3 shape scanner to take digital impressions for our patients. It uses a great deal of artificial intelligence including taking and enhancing digital tooth impressions, taking shades , showing any problems with tooth preparations. There are more things that the software does, but I am still a neophyte using the software. Our patients are clearly impressed. 

Its pretty clear that even though this technology is not new, it is getting better and more powerful every year. We used it to take an impression for tray aligner orthodontics and the software we used allowed a remote orthodontist to design the proposed movements. We will still have to perform any slenderizing of teeth to allow the proposed movements but it really doesn't seem to require us to be all that involved. I see no reason why a dental assistant couldn't be taking the digital impression and they might even be able to supervise subsequent visits , assuming they were well trained. 

At NYU College of dentistry , the periodontal department is already placing some of their patients implants using a robot assist and my periodontist is using software to design and fabricate guided stints for his placement of implants and he loves it.

It is not much of a leap of faith to see that the number of highly paid dentists in the future should be diminishing, its just a question of when this will happen. If the reader is old enough , they may remember the Jetson Cartoon , where George went to work, pushed a button, and "supervised" a robotic factory. His only job was turning on and off the computers.




from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2025/03/will-ai-replace-dentists-anytime-soon.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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