As advancements in AI in dental care continue to reshape the healthcare landscape, predictive analytics is playing a pivotal role in early diagnosis and personalized treatment. In this guest article, Mr. Sameer Merchant, MD & CEO of Laxmi Dental Limited, shares expert insights on how artificial intelligence is transforming modern dentistry and oral health management.
Dentistry is an industry which is continuously evolving. Advances in AI are reshaping how dental diseases are diagnosed, how treatments are designed, and how care is delivered both in clinics and beyond. In India, the dental consumables market itself is growing, valued at around USD 190 million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 350 million by 2030. Rising demand for restorative and cosmetic treatment from growing income, improved awareness and urbanization are key drivers. As patient expectations for precision, speed, and aesthetics grow, dentistry is transitioning from a reactive model of care to a predictive and data-driven ecosystem.
Table of Contents
AI In Dental Diagnosis & Imaging
The most mature applications of AI in dental care involve diagnostic assistance: interpreting radiographs, scans, intraoral images to detect caries, periodontal disease, bone loss, and even early signs of oral cancer. Machine learning algorithms can now analyze CBCT, RVG, OPG scans and digital impressions in seconds, enabling dentists to identify abnormalities with remarkable precision. In India, AI-powered diagnostic scanners are already being deployed to reduce waiting times and increase accuracy.
Digital Manufacturing
Restorations and devices like crowns, bridges, aligners and dentures are being increasingly manufactured using digital workflows like intraoral scanning, CAD/CAM design, 3D printing, sometimes even in the clinic itself. This shortens treatment duration, improves fit reduces manual error, and in many cases lowers cost. AI is now being integrated with 3D printing software to automatically suggest optimal design modifications, material usage, and even predict failure points before fabrication.
Personalized Treatment & Predictive Analytics
These technologies aim to predict which patients are at risk of certain dental conditions, how treatments will fare, and how to customize treatment plans (orthodontics, implants) for individual patient anatomy, preferences and constraints. AI models trained on large datasets of images/patient outcomes are central to this.
- Teledentistry & Remote Monitoring
Spurred by pandemic experiences, remote consultations have become more acceptable. Teledentistry enables preliminary assessments, follow-ups, triage, post-operative care, and sometimes even remote coaching for dental hygiene. Further, AI-powered aligner monitoring systems are all set to transform the way aligner treatment is monitored by enabling dentists to track progress remotely. This eliminates the need for in-person visits after the aligners are delivered and ensures that treatment stays on track, even when the dentist and patient are in different locations. These lower barriers for patients in remote or underserved areas.
- Minimally Invasive Techniques
Modern dentistry focuses on preserving as much of the natural tooth and tissue as possible. Minimally invasive dentistry uses advanced imaging for early detection, lasers and micro-tools for precision, and biomaterials for regeneration. Nanotechnology-based coatings are also being developed to restore enamel and reduce sensitivity, while bioactive materials are being explored for self-healing dental restorations.
- Multi-Modal AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)
Newer research is pushing AI beyond just images: combining imaging data, language/text data (patient history, symptoms), and even sensor data to produce richer decision-support tools. LLMs are being explored as tools to help with diagnostics, treatment planning, automated report generation, and patient communication.
Challenges
While the potential of AI in dentistry is significant, several challenges and risks remain. The first lies in data quality, privacy, and bias. AI systems are only as reliable as the data they are trained on, yet in many Indian contexts, datasets are limited or drawn from populations that differ from those for which the tools were originally built. This raises risks of bias across imaging, socio-economic, and demographic factors, while also sparking concerns around patient privacy and data security, especially with cloud-based platforms.
Cost and infrastructure pose another hurdle, as advanced technologies such as CBCT imaging, 3D printing, and robotics come with high capital expenses, and their adoption can be slowed by unreliable power, internet connectivity, and supply chain constraints in underserved areas.
What Does the Future Of Dentistry Look Like?
Looking ahead, the next five to ten years could see dentistry transformed by innovations that move care from reactive to predictive and immersive. Same-day “smart restorations” may become commonplace, where a patient receives a scan, an AI-driven design, and a precisely 3D-printed crown or ceramic alternative all within a single appointment. Diagnostics are likely to become more hybrid, combining CBCT scans, intraoral imaging, salivary biomarkers, and genetic or lifestyle data to predict risks such as decay, periodontal disease, or implant failure, enabling preventive rather than corrective interventions.
Robotic and semi-robotic systems may increasingly assist clinicians with complex procedures like implant placement, enhanced by AR guidance and real-time feedback for safety. At the same time, wearables and monitoring devices ranging from smart toothbrushes to intraoral sensors that could track pH, plaque buildup, or inflammation, alerting both patients and practitioners early while feeding continuous data into AI platforms. AR and VR will likely reshape the patient experience as well, whether through smile design visualizations, VR-based anxiety reduction, or immersive training tools for new dentists. Sustainability will emerge as a defining theme, with recyclable materials, energy-efficient fabrication, digital impressions, and waste-reducing practices shaping the future of “green dentistry.”
What’s Next?
India’s dental sector is entering a transformative phase, shaped by its vast population, expanding middle class, and the growing penetration of digital health technologies. Demand for preventive and aesthetic care is rising, while the government’s focus on health tech is creating fertile ground for innovation.
On the innovation front, deep-tech startups are exploring biomaterials and nanotechnology to address enduring challenges like tooth sensitivity. These developments point to an exciting future: in the next two to five years, India is likely to see AI tools becoming commonplace in smaller clinics, a thriving startup ecosystem around dental technology, clearer regulatory pathways for AI-enabled medical devices, and greater public-private partnerships aimed at extending advanced dental care into rural areas through mobile diagnostics and tele consultations.
Companies who are key manufacturers and suppliers of dental consumables, stand at the center of this transformation and have multiple avenues to engage effectively with it. Investing in research and development is essential, particularly in creating materials that align with digital workflows like whether resins and ceramics suited for 3D printing and smart materials. Partnerships with universities, research institutions, or AI-focused startups can further accelerate innovation.
For companies manufacturing and supplying dental consumables, this evolution presents new avenues of growth. Investing in R&D to create materials compatible with digital and VR-based workflows, such as printable ceramics or smart composites, will be crucial. Collaborating with AI startups and research institutions can accelerate product innovation. Manufacturers can also embed AI into production lines to monitor quality, predict material demand, and optimize distribution.
Finally, building ecosystems that merge products with digital support such as integrated scanning tools, software compatibility, and educational programs will define leadership in the future of dentistry. As digital and immersive technologies advance, those who align early with the AI-driven, sustainable, and patient-centric future will set the benchmark for the next era of oral care.
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