Artificial intelligence applications in restorative dentistry: A systematic review

Abstract

Statement of problem: Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are increasing in restorative procedures. However, the current development and performance of AI in restorative dentistry applications has not yet been systematically documented and analyzed.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate the ability of AI models in restorative dentistry to diagnose dental caries and vertical tooth fracture, detect tooth preparation margins, and predict restoration failure.

Material and methods: An electronic systematic review was performed in 5 databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, World of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus. A manual search was also conducted. Studies with AI models were selected based on 4 criteria: diagnosis of dental caries, diagnosis of vertical tooth fracture, detection of the tooth preparation finishing line, and prediction of restoration failure. Two investigators independently evaluated the quality assessment of the studies by applying the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies (nonrandomized experimental studies). A third investigator was consulted to resolve lack of consensus.

Results: A total of 34 articles were included in the review: 29 studies included AI techniques for the diagnosis of dental caries or the elaboration of caries and postsensitivity prediction models, 2 for the diagnosis of vertical tooth fracture, 1 for the tooth preparation finishing line location, and 2 for the prediction of the restoration failure. Among the studies reviewed, the AI models tested obtained a caries diagnosis accuracy ranging from 76% to 88.3%, sensitivity ranging from 73% to 90%, and specificity ranging from 61.5% to 93%. The caries prediction accuracy among the studies ranged from 83.6% to 97.1%. The studies reported an accuracy for the vertical tooth fracture diagnosis ranging from 88.3% to 95.7%. The article using AI models to locate the finishing line reported an accuracy ranging from 90.6% to 97.4%.

Conclusions: AI models have the potential to provide a powerful tool for assisting in the diagnosis of caries and vertical tooth fracture, detecting the tooth preparation margin, and predicting restoration failure. However, the dental applications of AI models are still in development. Further studies are required to assess the clinical performance of AI models in restorative dentistry.