Artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry has generated significant excitement lately, prompting the question of whether it lives up to the hype. Drawing from my clinical experience of using AI for patient care and training, I can confidently affirm that the enthusiasm is well founded.
If you're contemplating incorporating this innovation into your practice, here's a "starter kit" that my hygienists and I follow, offering a glimpse into the potential of these powerful tools. Keep in mind that the protocols discussed below can be adapted for various platforms designed to interpret radiographs and manage information in your practice management software.
Using AI in your dental practice
Easy, breezy chart prep
Initiate by having your teams print their schedules through the AI dashboard. This becomes a central hub for notes and feedback during morning huddles, serving as foundational elements of comprehensive treatment planning.
The dashboard typically provides the following crucial information:
Review x-rays
You can examine x-rays with a focus on AI-generated measurements, such as:
Review of treatment plan
Use the "scheduled for today" columns for comparing with diagnostics to do the following with the treatment plan:
During the dental appointment
Shortcuts, where available, should be used to get to x-rays quickly. In addition:Operations
Marketing and business assessments
Leverage AI tools to assist the marketing department in assessing your presence in the community. For example, DMscore will break down your visibility and ranking versus competitors based on price per click, SEO and mapping. Review this monthly at least.
For employee evaluations with the goal of improving business practices, Patient Prism uses an AI algorithm to reengage lost patient opportunities. It measures team member interaction with patients on the phone and gives you tangible material with which you can coach employees.
Patient engagement
Encourage your teams to employ QR codes for product websites, showcasing the technology to patients. This engagement strategy can be applied across various partnerships within your practice, fostering patient involvement in discussions.
The takeaway
AI is a transformative force in dentistry, offering myriad benefits for both patient care and practice management. By incorporating these protocols, you can harness the full potential of AI in your dental practice.
Anjuli Avis, CRDH, is a dental hygienist of 18 years. She has been a clinical coordinator, hygiene mentor, trainer, study club content creator, and presenter. Currently, she is a regional director of hygiene for a U.S. dental service organization, with the main goal of implementing best practices in the hygiene department. Avis is an advocate for consistent and thorough diagnostics like salivary testing, oral cancer screenings, and AI.
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.