From artificial intelligence to 3D printing, Zelko Relic explains how Align Technology is keeping up to date with the latest technological advancements.
How has AI changed patient care and customer experience in the dental industry over the past few years?
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly popular topic. We have witnessed substantial advancements in AI and machine learning (ML) over the past decade. The development of new technologies utilising AI is only accelerating, offering new opportunities for application in many industries, including dentistry and orthodontics.
AI has certainly transformed patient care and doctor experience in our sector. At Align Technology, we have been integrating digital solutions into our operations over the last 27 years and we aim to be at the forefront in applying AI and new technologies to continue revolutionising dentistry.
For example, by leveraging large amounts of anonymised data through our research and development processes, we can customise and fine-tune our treatment algorithms.
As a result, this extensive dataset allows for more accurate and efficient treatment planning. This not only improves patient outcomes, but also offers a new way to enhance doctors’ experience by allowing them to gain more clinical confidence when treating patients.
How has AI been integrated into dental practices? Is it increasing the capacity and speed of pathology detection?
AI has enhanced dental practices by integrating technology into both clinical and workflow processes. In addition to leveraging anonymised data and clinical flows to improve our treatment planning ML models, we also offer doctors, patients and consumers AI-driven features and software to support treatment choices, planning and monitoring.
Firstly, through awareness when consumers are thinking about teeth straightening through to the evaluation phase. Then during the consultation phase, for provider assessment through a virtual appointment and in-office intraoral scan. Finally, throughout the onboarding and Invisalign use phase.
On the clinical side, by combining imaging data from intraoral scanners and harnessing extensive patient datasets, AI assists in diagnosing conditions, pathology detection and planning treatments. We are developing AI models to determine aligner fit, and detect attachments. Ultimately, this type of technology allows dental professionals to further leverage and enhance their experience and skills to deliver improved clinical outcomes and optimise the patient experience, which is a very exciting prospect.
Our Align Oral Health Suite is a prime example that includes AI applications. These tools enhance a doctor’s understanding of their patient’s needs, while allowing them to explore and compare different treatment planning options. AI-based solutions can also aid the visualisation of potential outcomes, supporting doctor’s communication with their patients and allowing them to make an informed decision regarding their treatment plan.
Beyond the clinical aspects, AI optimises the workflow of dental practices. For example, by implementing large language models, AI can streamline various processes. Thus automating tasks to improve overall practice efficiency.
What about tele-dentistry, will it be possible in the future to have a check-up with our dentist without leaving home? Could we be able to monitor our own oral health in the future thanks to AI?
While we emphasise that AI should not replace the expert role of dental professionals, tele-dentistry allows for a combination of in-person visits as well as at-home care. This reduces the need for frequent trips to the dental office. The doctor-patient experience of Invisalign Virtual Care includes AI-powered features such as automated assessment and patient progress reports integrated with doctor apps.
As technology advances and new tools are developed, doctors are able to oversee treatments more closely, monitor patient responses to treatments remotely, and be alerted if any issues arise.
In the future, some health indicators may be tracked through the mouth. AI and tele-dentistry will then provide patients with more convenient and effective oral health care and monitoring from the comfort of their homes.
Regarding 3D printing, how has this technology advanced over the past few years?
From healthcare to engineering, 3D printing is transforming industries and creating new opportunities for innovation. At Align, we have utilised 3D printing from the very beginning. In fact, we have the world’s largest 3D printing operations, used to manufacture approximately one million customised clear aligner parts per day.
Throughout the last decade, substantial investments have driven the evolution of 3D printing across different industries. In the dental sector, more and more companies are leveraging 3D printing. This is in addition to new materials, machines and processes specifically designed for dental applications. We expect this to continue accelerating in the coming years.
What are the future challenges of 3D printing?
One of the primary challenges in 3D printing is developing solutions that maintain efficiency, quality and consistency at scale. At Align, we implement AI during the manufacturing process of our Invisalign clear aligners to help identify potential defects to maintain the quality of production.
Nonetheless, ensuring that 3D printing technology can handle large volumes whilst optimising the precision and reliability necessary is a challenge we continue to address.
What recent advancements in 3D printing of materials has Align achieved?
We have seen great advancements in 3D printing materials. Initially, 3D printing relied on a limited range of materials, but recent innovations have expanded the possibilities. The manufacturing process has also been streamlined by 3D printing, making it faster and more efficient.
This ongoing innovation continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in dental care, offering better outcomes for patients. For example, the Invisalign Palatal Expander System is Align’s first direct 3D printed orthodontic device and provides an alternative to metal palatal expanders. This innovation is currently pending regulatory approvals in the EU, before we can introduce it in European markets.
With our acquisition of Cubicure GmbH – a pioneer in direct 3D printing solutions for polymer additive manufacturing – we are looking at ways of extending the materials and manufacturing capabilities for our 3D printed product portfolio. This will offer greater customisation and personalisation.
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This article is sponsored by Align Technology.
