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Artificial intelligence and the dental practitioner

BDJ In Practice volume 32, pages 18–19 (2019)Cite this article

Artificial intelligence is next level technology that can further progress and even think like a human and have 'thought processes' like humans do. The use of complex software and algorithms allows machines to recognise input data, even about behaviours and create logical cognitive conclusions. It is now no longer the place of science fiction, it's the place of science fact.

Artificial intelligence is defined as 'the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making and translation between languages'.1 Whereas smart technology devices are defined as 'an electronic gadget that is able to connect, share and interact with its user and other smart devices'.2 In a very simple and brief way to describe how AI works it is basically a machine that is fed large amounts of data which it processes, allowing the software to 'learn' from patterns it sees in the data.

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References

  1. English Oxford Dictionaries. Available online at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/artificial_intelligence (Accessed February 2019).

  2. On Techopedia. Available online at www.techopedia.com/definition/31463/smart-device (Accessed February 2019).

  3. NHS Digital. NHS Dental Statistics for England - 2017-18, Annual Report. Available online at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics/2017-18-annual-report (Accessed March 2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dental Hygienist, King Street Dental Centre, DN8 5AU, Thorne, UK

    Claire Berry

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  1. Claire Berry
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Correspondence to Claire Berry.

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Berry, C. Artificial intelligence and the dental practitioner. BDJ In Pract 32, 18–19 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-019-0012-9

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