Artificial intelligence-enhanced diagnostic tools could help facilitate orthodontic treatment planning, which typically requires accurate evaluations of patients’ dental and skeletal malocclusions. As a result, orthodontists must acquire precise diagnostic measurements using cephalometric analysis, three-dimensional modeling, and comprehensive patient-specific evaluations.
AI tools—which utilize complex algorithms and neural networks to analyze data sets—may be capable of providing orthodontists with informed treatment recommendations to improve patient outcomes. However, the technology’s performance has been little understood in orthodontics.
In a study, published in the Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences, researchers randomly assigned 100 patients to either an AI-enhanced diagnostic group or a traditional diagnostic group. In the AI-enhanced diagnostic group, AI-powered software was involved in automated cephalometric analyses, three-dimensional model evaluations, and treatment suggestions.
In the traditional diagnostic group, the patients were assessed solely by standard orthodontist methods such as manual cephalometric measurements, three-dimensional model evaluations, and clinical judgment. Patients with contraindications for orthodontic treatment were excluded from the study.
The primary outcomes of the study were the accuracy of treatment planning, treatment time calculated in months from treatment initiation to completion, and patient satisfaction based on a validated questionnaire. The secondary outcomes were the number of appointments and treatment costs.
Compared with conventional orthodontist assessment, the researchers found that the AI-powered software offered higher accuracy in treatment planning (P < .05), reduced the number of required dental appointments (mean ± standard deviation [SD] = 10.2 ± 2.1 vs. 12.8 ± 3.4), shortened treatment times (mean ± SD = 14.6 ± 3.2 months vs. 18.9 ± 4.5 months), and improved patient satisfaction (mean ± SD = 9.2 ± 0.6 vs. 8.1 ± 0.8).
The study findings suggested that utilizing AI-powered orthodontic assessment could enhance patient outcomes; however, practitioners must take into account the expenses associated with using the software.
No conflicts of interest were disclosed.