AI Reshaping the Dental Landscape: Integrating the Future into Curriculum

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the field of dentistry, revolutionizing diagnostics, treatment planning, patient communication, and administrative tasks. AI is positively impacting dentistry, yet we should still consider the practical, ethical, and pedagogical downsides. The crucial question is, will dental education be able to keep pace with such a rapid technological progression? Supplementing dental educational programs to responsibly harness the power of AI clinically is crucial to ensuring a future where technology serves the humanistic aspect of dentistry.

The speed of transformation in dentistry will much likely intensify as artificial intelligence continues to improve. Consequently, a framework for teaching rapidly evolving technologies is required to prevent continuously outdated dental curricula. The function of AI is as a tool beyond automation of tasks. For instance, a dentist with supportive AI can diagnose with enhanced accuracy with suggestions of personalized treatment plans.¹ The diagnostic process is faster and encourages exploration of diverse treatment approaches tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Additionally, chatbots and virtual assistants can handle nonclinical tasks.² Through such tools, dentists will have the opportunity to become more effective and focus on patient care. By weaving AI into the curriculum, future dentists won’t just witness this revolution, they’ll become its architect; they will be able to craft patient-centered care with precision and personalization.³

While AI promises to streamline dental care, educators must prioritize graduating ethical and responsible users. AI is not meant to replace dentists; it is meant to simply augment clinical decisions and automate non-clinical tasks. Authors recently emphasized the necessity of ensuring patient safety in a recent guideline published in ADA standardization for dental informatics.⁴ Integrating AI into the curriculum requires a comprehensive approach and framework of futureproofing. The curriculum should be holistic, focusing on ethical consequences in addition to traditional technological aspects. It is also important for the curriculum to adopt critical thinking skills⁵ to allow dental students to explore AI-generated data realistically, commanding informed decisions for their patients. According to Schwendicke et al., “dental education will need to supplement the initiation of clinical AI solutions by adopting digital literacy in the future dental workforce”.⁶ Furthermore, the integration of AI in dental curriculum also requires faculty education. To achieve this effectively we need to consider implementing seminars and training programs to improve knowledge among educators. The objective is to make faculty understand AI basics and clinical implementation enough to guide students toward ethical and effective stewardship as developing leaders in AI. Building a task force, strategic alliances with AI experts, dental organizations and policymakers across the country would guarantee an accountable AI centered dental curriculum.¹

In conclusion, integrating AI into the dental curriculum is a necessity for the future. There is a need for a comprehensive approach that focuses on the technical, ethical, pedagogical aspects of AI with concurrent faculty development. Such an approach will set up dentists as the leaders and stewards of AI within the field and maintain those knowledgeable in clinical aspects as leaders to drive the future of this technology.

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Notes on contributors

Nisha Manila

Dr. Nisha Manila is an Associate Professor and Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology at California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine. She earned her dental degree in India and a Ph.D. in Oral Radiation Oncology from Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Following her residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology at Texas A&M School of Dentistry, Dr. Manila furthered her education with a certification in Artificial Intelligence from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a master’s degree in the field from Spain. She is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

Aaron Glick

Dr. Aaron Glick works in healthcare innovation and is on faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry and Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the ABDSM, faculty member of the AADSM Mastery Program, and holds fellowship credentials with Academy of General Dentistry and International Congress of Oral Implantology. He has a background in software programming for neuroscience research at Brandeis University and Harvard University using 3D modeling, AI, and fMRI technologies. Dr. Glick has been published in medical and dental journals and lectures nationally on dental sleep medicine and digital/software technologies.

Pinelopi Xenoudi

Dr. Pinelopi Xenoudi graduated from the University of Athens, Dental Scholl with the Degree of Dental Surgeon in 2003. The following year she was accepted to Louisiana State University where she completed a dual certificate / degree program in Periodontics and Masters in Oral Biology. She achieved the Diplomate status of the American Board of Periodontology in 2008. As of July 2021, Dr. Xenoudi is the new Associate Dean of Admissions, Student Affairs and Diversity Equity and Inclusion at California Northstate University, College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Xenoudi’s main interests include control of periodontal disease and medically compromised patients, laser mediated wound healing, curriculum development, student assessment and student recruitment. Dr. Xenoudi has lectured nationally and internationally on interdisciplinary treatment and education, soft tissue manipulation, peri-implantitis, laser- tissue interaction and wound healing.