Artificial intelligence has grown significantly in the dental field in the last few years, with several new kinds of AI-powered technology entering the field.
With the emergence of new technologies such as ChatGPT, healthcare providers and dental company leaders are exploring ways to implement these platforms into practice, including clinical care, research and education. Several DSOs have added AI technology for clinical care and patient communications in recent years.
Barry Lyon, DDS, chief dental officer for the division of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry at Sarasota, Fla.-based DSO Dental Care Alliance, recently spoke with Becker's about how DSOs can best leverage this technology at their offices.
Note: This Q&A is part of a weekly series featuring Dr. Lyon focused on topics in the dental industry and DSO field.
Question: How can technology such as AI and ChatGPT be used at a DSO?
Dr. Barry Lyon: There are a number of ways ChatGPT could be used. For example, if a DSO has a website and wants to put a chatbot on a website to answer patients' questions or if they have a blog, they can use a bot to answer queries from patients.
Clinically, AI is being used in the diagnosis of tooth decay, bone loss, and for limited treatment planning. It can also be used to provide progress notes. It's set up very well to create notes but it's imperative before a doctor signs those notes, they are checked for accuracy.
Administrative tasks can be optimized by utilizing ChatGPT at the front desk to deal with repetitive tasks such as appointment scheduling or insurance claims.
Finally, there’s a role for ChatGPT if a DSO utilizes teledentistry.
Q: Are there any operational or ethical challenges that could come with using this kind of technology at dental practices?
BL: ChatGPT is potentially very beneficial, but we have to keep in mind it's not perfect. Some of the early reports are that it may provide very eloquent responses, but with questionable accuracy. It also raises questions of integrity. Dentists are responsible for the info they distribute to patients. Checking the accuracy of the info before we distribute is essential. Because of the way chatbots are programmed, they may have biases that could color the accuracy of the response and pass on to our patients.
Q: How may this technology affect the doctor-patient relationship?
BL: I think the public, in general, has grown more accustomed to seeing chatbots in various situations such as with online customer support. Patients have grown to expect it, although they may not be thrilled with it and how it's used. I think patients would certainly prefer contact with a real dentist instead of a chatbot, but that's not to say there aren't uses for it in dental websites, blogs, or teledentistry. I think everyone would agree that patients will have more confidence in specific information given to them by their doctors rather than a chatbot.
Q: Can AI be a redeeming factor that brings improvement to the many challenges facing the dental industry today?
BL: I think the potential is there, but I believe we're really in the very early stages of utilizing AI in a patient-doctor relationship. I think right now I would be hesitant to devote too much effort and resources toward it until it's been perfected a bit better, especially as it pertains to the accuracy of the information given. It's essential that there be close cooperation between the AI industry and healthcare institutions.