CDE1834 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Modern Dentistry
Course Description
This continuing education lecture provides an introduction to the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern dentistry. Designed for dental professionals and educators, this session explores real-world applications of AI to enhance diagnostics, treatment planning, patient care, and clinical research. Topics will include big data analytics using dental electronic health records (EDRs), predictive modeling for oral diseases, development of dental clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and the integration of natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning technologies. By the end of the session, attendees will have a practical framework for how AI can be ethically and effectively integrated into dental practice and research to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
Learner Outcomes
Upon course completion, the participant will:
- Explain foundational concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and articulate their significance in advancing dental research and clinical practice.
- Identify key opportunities and challenges associated with using large-scale dental data from electronic health records for AI-driven analysis.
- Describe core AI technologies such as predictive modeling, machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and clinical decision support systems (CDSS) within dental contexts.
- Analyze real-world case studies to understand how AI is applied in diagnosing periodontal disease, predicting root canal outcomes, and addressing oral health disparities.
- Evaluate the importance of human factors engineering and user-centered design in developing AI systems that are both effective and ethically aligned with clinical needs.
- Develop practical strategies for adopting AI technologies in dental settings, ensuring alignment with clinical standards, ethical considerations, and regulatory compliance.
Notes
Presenter:
Jay S. Patel, BDS, MS, PhD
Dr. Jay Patel is an Assistant Professor of Dentistry and Director of the Center for AI, Data Science, and Informatics at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. A nationally recognized expert in dental AI and informatics, Dr. Patel has led multiple federally funded research projects exploring the use of machine learning, natural language processing, and deep learning in oral healthcare. His work spans predictive modeling for periodontal disease, developing AI-powered clinical decision support systems, and improving oral health equity using big data. Dr. Patel has published over 50 papers in this area and has been invited to speak about his dental AI applications nationally and internationally.