Dentaltown September 2020 - 53

by Dr. Seth Gibree and Florian Hillen

Chances are, even if you haven't heard much about artificial
intelligence (AI), you've been benefiting from it on a daily basis.
AI-the development of machines and computer systems capable of
performing tasks that previously required human intelligence-is the
foundation for many recreational tools we've been using over the past
two decades. For example, Netflix uses AI to recommend the next film
or TV series it thinks you'd enjoy watching. Amazon's Alexa utilizes
AI to interact with its users and carry on full conversations. Facebook
depends on AI to recommend what it believes to be the most relevant
news story, friend's photo or post you'd like to see next as you scroll.
Within the health care industry, artificial intelligence has perhaps
the largest opportunity for potential impact. Accenture recently
estimated the total impact of AI in health care to be $150 billion by
2026. It has been used to improve breast cancer detection and even
predict the best course of treatment for patients suffering from clinical
depression. Trusted medical practitioners already provide patients
with invaluable intuition and years of fi rsthand experience. This,
coupled with immense amounts of AI data detailing patient history
and patterns, provides powerful results. The potential for human error
or doctor bias is minimized, helping doctors more likely land on the
most accurate diagnosis in the face of all that data.
In the span of his or her dental career, the average full-time dentist
will see 20,000 unique patients along with hundreds of thousands of
images. AI algorithms "train" on exponentially more images while also
incorporating feedback from a multitude of dentists. VideaHealth's
AI, for example, has been trained on more than 10 million specific
images and continues to grow. This allows AI to reduce the subjectivity
inherent in the field of dentistry, creating a consistent quality of care
for patients.

Dr. Seth Gibree is the senior
clinical director for Heartland
Dental, with a focus on artificial
intelligence and machine
learning. Gibree is a key opinion
leader and industry expert
with more than 20 years of
experience with expertise
in strategy, communication,
emerging technology, growth,
operations, building relationships, leading change and
organizational development. Before his time with Heartland
Dental, he started and owned multiple multidisciplinary
dental practices. Gibree has served on the editorial advisory
board of Dentaltown since 2009.
Florian Hillen is the CEO
and founder of VideaHealth,
which specializes in artificial
intelligence in dentistry. Before
VideaHealth, Hillen founded
a digital pregnancy startup,
obtained a medical degree in
Germany and a master's degree
in computer science from MIT.
VideaHealth spun out of MIT
in 2018 and uses artificial intelligence to automatically
detect diseases in dental imaging, treatment planning and
charting. The company has raised more than $6.5 million
in funding from Pillar VC, Zetta Venture Partners and
angel investors. VideaHealth works with leading DSOs and
insurances nationwide and has been featured in TechCrunch
and the Wall Street Journal.

Assisting diagnosis and treatment planning
The world of dentistry will benefit from the use of artificial
intelligence across three broad domains: diagnostics and treatment
planning, office management, and dental insurance and documentation.
We are already realizing the benefits of AI within diagnostics and
treatment planning. Dental Monitoring is an intelligence-based service
that enables patients to scan their teeth through their smartphones,
allowing orthodontists to analyze, monitor and check on treatment
progress. VideaHealth, along with numerous Heartland Dental-supported
dentists, will take this one step further to aid in the diagnosis and
prediction of the progression of diseases such as caries or periodontitis.

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Dentaltown September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown September 2020
