Research and application of artificial intelligence in dentistry from lower-middle income countries - a scoping review

Fahad Umer; Samira Adnan; Abhishek Lal

doi:10.1186/s12903-024-03970-y

Research and application of artificial intelligence in dentistry from lower-middle income countries - a scoping review

BMC Oral Health. 2024 Feb 12;24(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-03970-y.

Authors

Fahad Umer¹, Samira Adnan², Abhishek Lal³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Section of Dentistry, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
² Department of Operative Dentistry, Sindh Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.
³ Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. abhishek.lal@aku.edu.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into dentistry for improvement of current dental practice. While many studies have explored the utilization of AI in various fields, the potential of AI in dentistry, particularly in low-middle income countries (LMICs) remains understudied. This scoping review aimed to study the existing literature on the applications of artificial intelligence in dentistry in low-middle income countries. A comprehensive search strategy was applied utilizing three major databases: PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source. The search strategy included keywords related to AI, Dentistry, and LMICs. The initial search yielded a total of 1587, out of which 25 articles were included in this review. Our findings demonstrated that limited studies have been carried out in LMICs in terms of AI and dentistry. Most of the studies were related to Orthodontics. In addition gaps in literature were noted such as cost utility and patient experience were not mentioned in the included studies.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Deep learning; Dentistry; Machine learning.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Artificial Intelligence*
Dental Care
Developing Countries*
Humans