The social media response was resounding, with patient after patient sharing their own experiences of suddenly having six cavities, requiring unexpected “deep” cleanings, or needing several new crowns on seemingly stable fillings. Although there has been surprisingly little research done on patient trust in their dentists, it is clear that many patients are likely harboring doubts about the diagnoses they are receiving in our offices.
Dentistry, unlike many areas of medicine still has a subjective component. For instance, if a diabetic patient has a high a1c level, they are treated virtually the same way in Vermont as they are in San Diego. That is, diagnosis and treatment have consistency across medical providers. Yet, a patient can see 10 dentists and receive 10 different treatment plans. This makes it easy to see why trust can be an issue with patients. While I believe it would be an overstatement to say that unethical and harmful practices are pervasive in the dental industry, for the patients we serve, perception is reality.
As dentists, we are aware of the trust gap. Speaking for myself, there is nothing more upsetting than a patient who assumes that I have diagnosed a crown to help afford a new car. It simply isn’t the case. The fact is that no one goes through a curriculum as difficult as dentistry for a minimum of eight years to be perceived as unethical. So although as a profession, we tend to all agree that patient trust can be a problem, some fantastic and innovative technology solutions exist to help mitigate the problem. But how do dentists face our own internal fears and implement such technologies, and will they help or hurt our practice? The reality is this: greater transparency in patient care doesn’t have to come at a cost to practice revenue.
An AI Enabled Future
Over the last several years, Artificial Intelligence applications have begun to gain steam in dentistry. As a result, AI is proving perhaps the most powerful tool in the fight for transparency, consistency, and standardization of clinical care.
Without understanding of what these tools do many practitioners voice concern. Will AI replace me? Dentistry still remains a manual task so that is unlikely. Since dentists are human, and we can and will make mistakes, will AI x-ray solutions expose all of our flaws? I would argue that a dentist would want to be aware of below-standard care, so that he or she can handle as they see fit. The last thing any of us wants is to be before our respective Dental Boards with substandard work, yet these are valid questions.
However, with an understanding of the underlying technology, I strongly believe that AI should not be seen as a threat, but instead as a powerful augmentation of our skillset and toolkit. Below are four reasons why the benefits of technology-enabled checks and balances will actually result in more effective, efficient, and profitable practice operations.
Missed diagnosis is far more likely than over-diagnosis: According to data from the CDC, 25.9% of adults aged 20-44 have untreated dental caries. Research has shown that AI can improve the diagnostic accuracy rate to nearly 95%, helping to identify pathology missed by the human eye, and create legitimate additional opportunities for patient revenue.
A second opinion at your fingertips: From detecting early-stage carries to oral cancer screenings, AI can help patients and providers by not only reaffirming diagnoses for less-experienced providers but providing an objective, benchmarked assessment that is no longer perceived as “opinion.” This reduces the risk of potentially losing patients to other practices while seeking second opinions to either confirm or deny our observations.
Consistency throughout dental operation: Transparency goes hand in hand with consistency, and for DSOs in particular, gathering actional data can be critical to maintaining a consistent quality of care across offices, and identifying treatment gaps between specific offices and providers. Dentists need to function more like medical doctors. Caries can and should be diagnosed the same way every time. This is only achievable with an AI technology solution at this point.
Patient satisfaction is priceless – Delivering unbiased, objective, and standardized care not only has a powerful impact on patients while they are at the office, but after they leave, too. According to research, patients who are referred by other patients have a 37% higher retention rate compared to others, contributing to patient retention and ultimately practice growth.
With the precision of technology, AI-aided diagnoses can help us more accurately track the growth of dental caries over time, predict decay progression, and ultimately prevent future problems by addressing pathology much earlier. Not only that, but x-rays analyzed and annotated by AI can be an ideal patient education tool, helping them to truly visualize where the issue is and why a fix is needed. Overall, this can help restore trust between patient and provider, making patients more likely to return for ongoing care.
With rapidly advancing technology, particularly AI, there is no need for either patient or dental provider to have concerns about the veracity of a treatment plan. Statistically, AI-driven solutions visualize 30% more pathology than the naked eye. Therefore, the higher standard of care delivered as a result will create additional practice revenue opportunities and elevate your practice above others.