Artificial Intelligence (AI) already has many current applications in modern dentistry and the future promises many more. The first and most important use for AI is not interrupting my busy schedule and having ChatGPT write me a perfectly boring article for this magazine.
One of the biggest challenges I face every day is how to treat the aging population. Here on the Space Coast the locals are living longer, and other older folks are moving in from out of town to our slice of heaven. Generally, once a person reaches their eighties changes start to occur within the mouth. It is easier to get cavities in areas that previously were better cleaned and more well-protected. People that have had no cavities their whole lives start to have problems, seemingly out of the blue. This is due to many factors, and a large one is gum recession which can expose a tooth’s softer root. Almost every medication causes dry mouth, and without the body’s protective saliva, tooth decay happens much quicker and is harder to prevent. Also, arthritis and dexterity concerns of the hands and fingers impair the ability to brush and floss. By the time a person reaches this age, there has typically been a lot of dental work done already, and it also easier to get cavities around the margins or edges of existing crowns and fillings. Teeth also have had a lifetime to shift and get crooked, again making it harder to clean.
