Artificial intelligence in periodontology and implantology—a narrative review

Background and Objective: Artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry is a fast-expanding field that primarily aims to help dentists provide excellent care to patients by streamlining procedures and saving time. AI is revolutionizing dentistry by enabling more precision, reduced errors, and a reduction in staffing needs. This article aims to review the applications of AI across various facets of periodontal diagnosis and treatment planning, along with its advantages and drawbacks. Methods: A comprehensive search was carried out utilizing the databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase, using the keywords “Periodontics AND AI”, “Periodontology AND Artificial Intelligence”, “Periodontology AND neural networks”, and “AI AND periodontal diseases and periodontal therapy”. All the relevant clinical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were extracted. Only studies published in English were selected. After a detailed review of the abstracts, the most relevant papers related to our topic were included, and any irrelevant articles were excluded. Key Content and Findings: AI has shown positive results in the detection and classification of periodontal disease, periodontal risk assessment (PRA), assessment of bone level, detection of halitosis, treatment planning for dental implants, detection of implant type, optimization of implant designs, prediction of treatment outcomes, and also in the management of a dental practice. Conclusions: AI can improve the effectiveness of periodontists as decision aids and decision-making tools. To gain widespread implementation, AI systems must receive regulatory approval, incorporation with public healthcare systems, standardization for reliable operation, clinical advice and training, and appropriate financing for continuous operation. However, it must be highlighted that there are limitations concerning their practical clinical use which need to be addressed in future studies.