Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assessment of Pediatric Dental Panoramic Radiographs (DPRs): A Clinical Study

Abstract

This clinical study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision of artificial intelligence (AI) in assessing permanent teeth in pediatric patients. Over one thousand consecutive DPRs taken in Kielce, Poland, with the Carestream CS9600 device were screened. In the study material, 35 dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) of patients of developmental age were identified and included. They were automatically evaluated with an AI algorithm. The DPRs were then analyzed by researchers. The status of the following dichotomous variables was assessed: (1) decay, (2) missing tooth, (3) filled tooth, (4) root canal filling, and (5) endodontic lesion. The results showed high specificity and accuracy (all above 85%) in detecting caries, dental fillings, and missing teeth but low precision. This study provided a detailed assessment of AI performance in a previously neglected age group. In conclusion, the overall accuracy of AI algorithms for evaluating permanent dentition in dental panoramic radiographs is lower for pediatric patients than adults or the entire population. Hence, identifying primary teeth should be implemented in AI-driven software, at least so as to ignore them when assessing mixed dentition (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT06258798).

Keywords: DMF index; artificial intelligence; dental caries; panoramic radiography.

Figure 1

Decayed teeth by their location in the oral cavity.

Figure 2

Missing teeth by their location in the oral cavity.

Figure 3

Filled teeth by their location in the oral cavity.