AI and face-driven orthodontics: a scoping review of digital advances in diagnosis and treatment planning

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), technological progress is changing established workflows and enabling some basic routines to be updated. In dentistry, the patient’s face is a crucial part of treatment planning, although it has always been difficult to grasp in an analytical way. This review highlights the current digital advances that, thanks to AI tools, allow us to implement facial features beyond symmetry and proportionality and incorporate facial analysis into diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics. A Scopus literature search was conducted to identify the topics with the greatest research potential within digital orthodontics over the last five years. The most researched and cited topic was artificial intelligence and its applications in orthodontics. Apart from automated 2D or 3D cephalometric analysis, AI finds its application in facial analysis, decision-making algorithms as well as in the evaluation of treatment progress and retention. Together with AI, other digital advances are shaping the face of today’s orthodontics. Without any doubts, the era of “old” orthodontics is at its end, and modern, face-driven orthodontics is on the way to becoming a reality in modern orthodontic practices

AI and Face-Driven Orthodontics: A Scoping Review of Digital Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), technological progress is changing established workflows and enabling some basic routines to be updated. In dentistry, the patient’s face is a crucial part of treatment planning, although it has always been difficult to grasp in an analytical way. This review highlights the current digital advances that, thanks to AI tools, allow us to implement facial features beyond symmetry and proportionality and incorporate facial analysis into diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics. A Scopus literature search was conducted to identify the topics with the greatest research potential within digital orthodontics over the last five years. The most researched and cited topic was artificial intelligence and its applications in orthodontics. Apart from automated 2D or 3D cephalometric analysis, AI finds its application in facial analysis, decision-making algorithms as well as in the evaluation of treatment progress and retention. Together with AI, other digital advances are shaping the face of today’s orthodontics. Without any doubts, the era of “old” orthodontics is at its end, and modern, face-driven orthodontics is on the way to becoming a reality in modern orthodontic practices

AI-Assisted CBCT Data Management in Modern Dental Practice: Benefits, Limitations and Innovations

Within the next decade, artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally transform the workflow of modern dental practice. This paper reviews the innovations and new roles of dental assistants in CBCT data management with the support of AI. Its use in 3D data management brings new roles for dental assistants. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology is, together with intraoral 3D scans and 3D facial scans, commonly used 3D diagnostic in a modern digital dental practice. This paper provides an overview of the potential benefits of AI implementation for semiautomated segmentations in standard medical diagnostic workflows in dental practice. It discusses whether AI tools can enable healthcare professionals to increase their reliability, effectiveness, and usefulness, and addresses the potential limitations and errors that may occur. The paper concludes that current AI solutions can improve current digital workflows including CBCT data management. Automated CBCT segmentation is one of the current trends and innovations. It can assist professionals in obtaining an accurate 3D image in a reduced period of time, thus enhancing the efficiency of the whole process. The segmentation of CBCT serves as a helpful tool for treatment planning as well as communicating the problem to the patient in an understandable way. This paper highlights a high bias risk due to the inadequate sample size and incomplete reporting in many studies. It proposes enhancing dental workflow efficiency and accuracy through AI-supported cbct data managemen

Smartphone-Based Facial Scanning as a Viable Tool for Facially Driven Orthodontics?

The current paradigm shift in orthodontic treatment planning is based on facially driven diagnostics. This requires an affordable, convenient, and non-invasive solution for face scanning. Therefore, utilization of smartphones’ TrueDepth sensors is very tempting. TrueDepth refers to front-facing cameras with a dot projector in Apple devices that provide real-time depth data in addition to visual information. There are several applications that tout themselves as accurate solutions for 3D scanning of the face in dentistry. Their clinical accuracy has been uncertain. This study focuses on evaluating the accuracy of the Bellus3D Dental Pro app, which uses Apple’s TrueDepth sensor. The app reconstructs a virtual, high-resolution version of the face, which is available for download as a 3D object. In this paper, sixty TrueDepth scans of the face were compared to sixty corresponding facial surfaces segmented from CBCT. Difference maps were created for each pair and evaluated in specific facial regions. The results confirmed statistically significant differences in some facial regions with amplitudes greater than 3 mm, suggesting that current technology has limited applicability for clinical use. The clinical utilization of facial scanning for orthodontic evaluation, which does not require accuracy in the lip region below 3 mm, can be considered

Fabrication and In Vitro Characterization of Novel Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds 3D Printed Using Polyvinyl Alcohol as a Thermoplastic Binder

This paper presents a proof-of-concept study on the biocolonization of 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffolds with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Three-dimensional (3D) printed biomimetic bone structure made of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) intended as a future bone graft was made from newly developed composite material for FDM printing. The biopolymer polyvinyl alcohol serves in this material as a thermoplastic binder for 3D molding of the printed object with a passive function and is completely removed during sintering. The study presents the material, the process of fused deposition modeling (FDM) of CDHA scaffolds, and its post-processing at three temperatures (1200, 1300, and 1400 °C), as well it evaluates the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of scaffolds with MTT and LDH release assays after 14 days. The study also includes a morphological evaluation of cellular colonization with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in two different filament orientations (rectilinear and gyroid). The results of the MTT assay showed that the tested material was not toxic, and cells were preserved in both orientations, with most cells present on the material fired at 1300 °C. Results of the LDH release assay showed a slight increase in LDH leakage from all samples. Visual evaluation of SEM confirmed the ideal post-processing temperature of the 3D-printed FDM framework for samples fired at 1300 °C and 1400 °C, with a porosity of 0.3 mm between filaments. In conclusion, the presented fabrication and colonization of CDHA scaffolds have great potential to be used in the tissue engineering of bones