Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
THE FUTURE OF DENTISTRY AI APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES, Prof. Dr. Funda BAYINDIR, Editör, Türkiye Klinikleri Yayınevi, Ankara, ss.21-32, 2026
ABSTRACT
Digital technologies have radically transformed the practice of dentistry. In parallel, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has developed rapidly and has assumed a transformative role in many areas, particularly in healthcare. Dentistry has also been significantly influenced by this technolog-ical revolution. Digital dentistry, through the integration of CAD/CAM systems, intraoral scan-ners, 3D printing, digital imaging, digital smile design, and teledentistry, has enhanced efficiency in both clinical practice and dental education. With its ability to learn from large datasets and support complex and challenging clinical decision-making processes, Artificial In-telligence is being increasingly adopted and holds promise across many dental specialties, in-cluding periodontology, implantology, prosthodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, and public health dentistry. Several AI-based applica-tions in digital dentistry may be summarized as follows: supporting disease-risk prediction and treatment planning, identifying implant types, evaluating peri-implant bone loss, assisting with shade selection, esthetic planning, prediction of crown debonding, automating design of crowns, contributing to caries detection, identification of periapical lesions, aiding in assess-ing impacted third molars, supporting the detection of maxillary sinus abnormalities and other lesions using radiographic imaging, among others. AI-based digital dentistry applications con-tribute to improving diagnostic accuracy, identifying risk factors, facilitating personalized treatment planning, and supporting post-treatment follow-ups. Moreover, in dental education and dental academia, AI-enabled platforms, together with virtual and augmented reality tools and simulation systems, provide enriched learning opportunities by enhancing both theoreti-cal knowledge and clinical skill improvement. However, the integration of these technologies also poses challenges such as ethical concerns, data security, cost-effectiveness, and clinical generalizability. Looking ahead, AI and digital technologies are expected to further enable personalized treatments, promoting earlier diagnosis, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of dental care. In this context, the integration of AI into dentistry has the potential to not only reshape clinical practice but also transform education and research methodologies, re-defining the future landscape of the profession.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Dentistry; Machine Learning; Deep Learning;Computer-Aided Design; Robotics