Alan Clarke discusses AI’s role in personalised cosmetic dentistry.
My ultimate goal in cosmetic dentistry is to create the most beautiful, most natural result, specific for my patient. Never an out-of-the-box solution, but one individually crafted, knowing their vision and having really dived deep into their mind and wish list for their ideal smile.
Patient care doesn’t stop there: I need to communicate my vision back to my patient. It is vital they fully understand their dental diagnosis, their health, oral hygiene responsibilities and their duty to the dentistry I provide.
I want to lead the change in terms of the best dentistry in the UK and beyond, this starts with effective patient communication. AI is changing the dental game in terms of treatment planning and technological developments are going to ramp up, pushing dentistry to sit at the leading edge of what a doctor-patient interaction can look like.
Rethink your treatment plans
Quite honestly, dental AI technology in the last two years – and even right up to the last few months – has blown my mind in terms of creativity and how I can deliver something better for my patients that is way more personalised than ever before!
I now view a dental treatment plan as a communication piece. It is a presentation, a discussion and a journey, never just a sheet of paper with words (that’s a cost estimate).
It is based on my diagnosis, tailored to speak to the needs of my specific patient and their own type of understanding. It’s not a momentary discussion, but an event in clinic. It is also a solitary moment in silence, as my patient presses play again at home that evening, taking the time to reflect on their desires and own wellness.
Hypercharge your diagnosis
With Pearl, we can use radiographic imaging like never before to illustrate disease progression and detect early incipient carious lesions and periapical pathology.
Elevating our early diagnostic protocol and showing that we embrace new technology in this way has been a game changer for my practice.
We want to ensure we have access to the full range of data available, if the technology is there, you have to use it!
For the first time (since June 2024), implant dentists in the UK have the ability to retro search previously placed implants using AI technology from radiographic analysis, thanks to revolutionary company Allisone. We can use this information to find supplies to restore a fractured implant crown or work with an unfamiliar implant system, perhaps from a patient who had this placed in a different country. This company has a mission and values, ready to take the world by storm.
Personalised care like never before? Tick! AI-powered orthodontic systems, of which many brands exist now, use machine learning to create personalised aligners and predict tooth movement. Speed of delivery? Tick!
Give value, educate, empower
We want the in-house experience to be seamless, but how do we take this further? How can dentistry use these technologies to give back to the patient, rather than just elevating our own experience?
The real eye opener for me was having the chance to preview some of the new technology coming to our field in terms of the way I communicate with patients.
Kiroku, Digital TCO, AI note taking is amazing for time saving and devoting maximum time to the patient in front of you.
Chairsyde communication has been vital for my clinic. This is a very high-level case presentation software with animations and communication tools designed to promote patient understanding.
Already deepening the knowledge of my patients in terms of their treatment plan following diagnosis, I know that exciting developments being launched in the next few months will radically redefine what a treatment plan even looks like.
In the same way that Forward Health in San Francisco changed the rules in terms of the ‘annual physical’ in 2016, I believe Chairsyde will change the game in terms of what an AI treatment plan, looks like: hyper-personalised for your patients, like never before.
Open your mind to AI, from diagnosis to delivery, treatment planning is about to get personal, radical and delivered in a way that a drawing or a piece of patient could never do…
2025 is going to be an exciting year, jump in now and lead the revolution!
Catch up with more columns from Alan:
Follow Dentistry on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
