https://youtu.be/9K9JsW0mc-8

Below, we’ve compiled the key points discussed in the Jameson Files Episode 145. To enjoy the full episode you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Jameson Files Episode 145 - The Emergence of AI in Dentistry with Mike Buckner from Pearl

Carrie Webber :

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm your host, Carrie Webber. Thank you for joining us once again for another episode. I hope that you are a plugged in part of our Jameson Files community. Our goal at the Jameson Files is to not only bring you the stories and the successes of your dental peers, but to also bring resources and tools and keep us all on the forefront of what is cutting edge in our profession. And so we are recording live right now from ADA's SmileCon 2022 meeting in Houston, Texas, and I'm thrilled to have a good friend joining us for this episode: Mike Buckner of Pearl. 

Mike is the Executive Vice President of revenue for Pearl. And if you're wondering what Pearl is, that is going to be the topic of conversation today, because what we are talking about today is artificial intelligence or AI.

What role does artificial intelligence (AI) play in the dental profession?

Carrie Webber :

So when you follow the breadcrumbs of Mike Buckner, he’s usually following along the cutting edge wave of what's happening in dentistry. And today that’s the early stages of artificial intelligence making an impact in our profession. What is this gonna do? How does this serve our community? What are the differences this could make for dental practices? 

But to start, can you share a little bit of the story of AI in industry and how this has originated and what are the solutions artificial intelligence is starting to bring to the table?

Mike Buckner:

Sure. So it's really exciting to bring this kind of technology into the dental space. Like you said, I've kind of been a dental tech junkie. In the early days I was over at Solutionreach and helped grow them. And then I had the opportunity to go over to Dental Intelligence, was with them for a period of time, and then with Weave for the last four years, right up until they had an IPO. At that point I kind of thought, “You know what, I'm gonna kind of take a step back and do some consulting. Cause I really wanted to be thoughtful of where that next move was, though I knew it would be in the dental space. 

1. Newly Emerging: AI Technology for Dentists

And I happened upon this AI technology! It's not something that was in the dental space; and that’s kind of shocking to me because it’s been utilized in medicine for quite some time with mammograms, X-rays, and such. Artificial intelligence is not new in the medical space, but it’s very new in dentistry. And this year, Pearl was the first company to be able to have comprehensive FDA clearance to bring this into the dental arena. And in doing so, this new technology really grew and impacted practices. 

And really the one thing that kind of pushed me over the edge to be a part of this cutting edge technology was that for the first time ever with Pearl, a practice can actually get a very comprehensive report of all of the undiagnosed treatment in a practice. Not unaccepted treatment, but undiagnosed treatment in a practice. And we can do that by analyzing these x-rays with artificial intelligence. AI basically will go in and highlight all of the pathologies.

The software generates a very comprehensive report of all of the undiagnosed—not unaccepted treatment, but undiagnosed treatment—in a practice.

Carrie Webber :

It’s a little mind blowing, you know, I think it's one of those things where seeing is believing. Because through the technology, you're able to pull up your patient's radiographs, and the AI software is pinpointing areas of potential concern or areas that it's identifying as concern.

2. Pearl’s Dental AI Software Product — Second Opinion

Mike Buckner: