Could AI be the key to the demand crisis?
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 6th July 2021
Dentistry in the UK has been reaching a tipping point for a long time. With NHS services stretched and various parts of the country impacted by access issues, it’s no surprise that the pandemic exacerbated these problems, making the faults in our current system abundantly clear.
In fact, according to Healthwatch there has been a 452% rise in calls of complaint to local branches about problems with local dental services since the start of the pandemic, with many of the complaints stating that access was limited or that appointment times were many months, or even years, in the future. In some cases, patients even reported having to call up to 40 NHS practices in order to find somewhere that could provide care or having to extract their own teeth when the pain became too much to bear.[i]
These issues are only likely to be exacerbated further by the fact that numbers of dental students are still lower than previous years. In 2019, it was reported that numbers of people looking to enter the profession had fallen by 22% compared with levels in 2015.[ii] Interestingly, the pandemic has seemingly had a positive impact on this, and recent reports suggest that the number of people applying for dental degrees has spiked throughout the last year.[iii] Regardless, what we need to remember is that this won’t necessarily solve the numbers issue, especially as we will have to wait four or five years to see these new dentists enter the workforce.
We must also consider the financial aspect of dentistry and how prohibitive this is to a number of people in the UK. The pandemic has had a huge impact on what personal finances people have available, and it’s likely that for many individuals, dental services are not a top priority or even unaffordable at this time.
With so many people desperate for care and limited services available, could Artificial Intelligence (AI) be the way forward?
I’ve written before about the amazing innovations in dentistry that have harnessed the powers of AI, but it’s interesting to consider how these new pieces of tech and software programmes could be implemented to help with access and demand issues.
For example, I recently stumbled across an article detailing an app that people can use to take pictures of their teeth and gums which will then scan the images for signs of disease and decay. This app also shares the images with their dentist/healthcare provider, making it an invaluable tool for early detection, especially for those who may not be sure if they need an appointment or those who can’t regularly attend their dentist for check-ups due to distance, time or any other restraint.[iv]
With the world being so used to having apps and other convenient features in the palm of their hand, innovations such as this could be a huge breakthrough in allowing more and more people to consider their oral health and be proactive about keeping their mouths in good condition. Plus, an app like this could do wonders in stabilising the number of people seeking appointments, especially if the tech is advanced enough to reliably inform patients when they need attention or when an appointment is unnecessary, freeing up more space for those who do require professional attention.
In a similar vein, we should also be thinking about the potential for teledentistry and what this could mean for patients struggling to receive care. Much like the use of software such as apps, there are restrictions to how useful remote services such as teledentistry can be. However, it’s also important we don’t disregard them as a useful tool for managing appointment demand and giving patients access to advice and care in a way that can overcome many of the current barriers.
Another aspect of AI in modern dentistry that we need to look out for is the development of software that can help aid better diagnostics. Although dental monitoring AI is widely in use already, further innovations such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), for example, could have a potentially game-changing impact. Mostly used for appraising images, CNNs offer a much higher level of accuracy when compared to human perception, meaning that tooth decay or periodontal disease that could be missed by a human dentist will be identified, leading to much earlier intervention and treatment, especially in cases where symptoms present atypically.[v]
Whether a CNN could be applied to remote imaging is something that only the future can tell us, but it’s interesting to think of the potential for AI systems to work together to allow people to have a comprehensive and accurate assessment of their oral health without having to visit the dental practice.
In conclusion, the way that AI is developing and being applied to dentistry is full of exceptional possibilities. As we continue to innovate and explore new ways to provide care, it’s likely that these advancements could be used to help overcome the deficiencies in access, number of dentists and even the potential financial restraints that some patients may have.
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[i] Healthwatch. Warnings of Dentistry Crisis as Public Concerns Continue. Link: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/2021-02-08/warnings-dentistry-crisis-public-concerns-continue [Last accessed April 21].
[ii] The Telegraph. Patients Left Hunting for Check-Ups as Number of New Dentists Falls. Link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/29/patients-left-hunting-check-ups-number-new-dentists-falls-fifth/#:~:text=Experts%20are%20warning%20of,fifth%20in%20just%20two%20years.&text=The%20figures%20show%20that%20in,more%20than%2022%20per%20cent. [Last accessed April 21].
[iii] Dentistry. Applications for Dental Degrees Spike Amid Pandemic Uncertainty. Link: https://dentistry.co.uk/2021/02/18/applications-for-dental-degrees-spike-amidst-pandemic-uncertainty/ [Last accessed April 21].
[iv] Innovation and Tech Today. Meet Your New AI Dentist: Innovations in Dentistry Through Technology. Link: https://innotechtoday.com/meet-your-new-ai-dentist-breaking-barriers-in-dentistry-through-technology/ [Last accessed April 21].
[v] Innovation and Tech Today. Meet Your New AI Dentist: Innovations in Dentistry Through Technology. Link: https://innotechtoday.com/meet-your-new-ai-dentist-breaking-barriers-in-dentistry-through-technology/ [Last accessed April 21].
