Artificial intelligence shows promise for interpreting dental X-rays

Previous studies have examined the use of artificial intelligence to detect caries, root fractures and apical lesions but there is limited research in the field of periodontology.

But, according to a recent research presented at EuroPerio10, a deep learning algorithm successfully detects periodontal disease from 2D bitewing radiographs, meaning this study evaluated the ability of deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to determine periodontal status in bitewing radiographs. The study used 434 bitewing radiographs from patients with periodontitis. Image processing was performed with u-net architecture, a convolutional neural network used to quickly and precisely segment images. Assessments included total alveolar bone loss around the lower and upper teeth, horizontal bone loss, vertical bone loss, furcation defects, and calculus around maxillary and mandibular teeth.

based on the results, the study illustrated that artificial intelligence is able to pick up many types of defects from 2D images which could aid in the diagnosis of periodontitis. Hence, this study provides a glimpse into the future of dentistry, where artificial intelligence automatically evaluates images and assists dental professionals to diagnose and treat disease earlier.

Reference: European Federation of Periodontology (EFP)  EuroPerio10 16/06/2022.