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more cautious, a little more steady – and the bene ts of that are potentially where the golden edge will be established as AI nds its way into the hands of dentists who highly value old school quality, client relationships, care and ethics. DentalMonitoring, a Paris-based global business dedicated to midwi ng the delivery of AI into the dental arena, is a torchbearer for a new paradigm in patient care, treatment tracking, practice culture and re ned case management that will change orthodontics globally completely. Here are some of the ways: u Using simple take-home accessories to t their own phone, the AI-backed digital monitoring system enables patients to create perfect images of their teeth which AI can check, track and create alerts and advice for any issues with their orthodontic treatment within hours, without having to make a call, or even leave their house. u Orthodontists can receive, with 99.9% accuracy, on a schedule of their choice, perfect image-based andAI-interpreted updates from their client’s mouths, between appointments, analyzed by sophisticated technology to monitor all aspects of treatment remotely, from aligners and braces of all brands, to retention and hygiene. u Using simple, intelligent dashboards every practice using DentalMonitoring AI suites will be able to easily, and with minimal overhead, maintain close contact, intimate care and virtually live support of every patient, in ways that are simply impossible without this kind of technological muscle behind the practice. u Dentists are able to issue reminders, encouragements, support, and alerts from a dashboard synched to each patient’s phone, tailored to their individual treatment plan, and perfectly matched to their actual experience during treatment at any time, with virtually zero demands on the doctor unless the system detects education or interventions are required. u And the list goes on. emedicalandbusinessconversations online about the impact and potential of AI in dentistry are overwhelmingly optimistic. e only real questions for dentists are how far-reaching, really, are the incredible possibilities of this kind of low-cost, high precision, remote care virtual monitoring systems, and when to get onboard. u

Andrew says one fear among Australian and New Zealand-based dentists is a perceived loss of client relationship due to increased automation of treatment. “But that’s not what the patients are saying,” he says. Close surveys of dental clients using AI based digital monitoring report increased enthusiasm and satisfaction with their orthodontic journey, including a sense of greater con dence, closer contact with their practice, and enjoyment of App features including being able to watch video ‘before and after’ footage of changes on their own mouths as their treatment progresses. “90% of patients report feeling closer and more connected to their dentist using our system,” he says. “ ere is also a huge improvement in overall hygiene, which tends to get better and better in clients using DentalMonitoring and getting regular, exact feedback from our AI through their phone about their progress, mouth-health and cleaning routines,” says Andrew. “All of this can be managed by protocols set up for case management automatically, and managed by sta members instead of

drawing on the dentist unless that’s what is required, which the Monitoring system can predict and report with astonishing precision.” Andrew can give an Australian business study of one orthodontic practice using DentalMonitoring over a thousand patients, which shows that the system saved one dentist more than 4,000 appointments. “We calculate each extra appointment costs around $300 to the practice, as well as aggravating the ‘witching hour’ and general stress and unpredictability in client care, which equates to a $1.2million saving over a year. And how do you value the reduced stress, workload and increased con dence that you can give a patient who can be supported and assessed without having to wait, travel or who would otherwise be o - track or enduring an issue, extending their treatment period or experiencing pain, and is unaware?” For a system with a buy-in starting at around $6,500, with a no-use/no fee monthly subscription, those gures alone seem to justify a good look at what DentalMonitoring is doing for your colleagues. Here in the region, Andrew says almost half of all orthodontists have already picked up the system. “We’re seeing that our role now is support for smooth use, and increasing understanding of how to y this thing, getting practices excited and streamlined to enjoy the bene ts and make the adjustments that really bring the rewards of this to everyday life in dental practice. “We’re working out how to talk about this to inspire those who are still nervous, we understand that – but we also know that it’s not really about whether this tech is any good now, it’s more about joining in on the adventure of just how good it’s going to get.” Over in Asia, the tech boom and AI possibilities are being drunk up fast by a feverish, optimistic, wild-with-thirst developing economy. Back in Australia, Andrew is telling me, the pace is a little

AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST 101