A team of researchers in Hong Kong has come up with a clever way to catch dental problems in kids — and it’s all thanks to artificial intelligence.
For an entire year, dental experts from various universities in Hong Kong and China checked the teeth of nearly 90 children aged three to five. They tested a new AI-powered tool designed to detect cavities and other dental issues quickly.
They didn’t just check once — they ran over 2,500 tests altogether! The study revealed that little ones usually get cavities in their front teeth first, and if untreated, those pesky cavities move to the back teeth too.
The new AI tool turned out to be impressively accurate. It correctly identified the reasons for cavities about 98% of the time, and most results were spot on in over 90% of cases.
The best part? This AI can tell within minutes if a child’s teeth are healthy or if there’s trouble brewing, which means kids could get treated much earlier and avoid painful visits later.
Researchers are hopeful the new method will get official approval soon. Once that happens, it could make dental care easier for millions of kids worldwide.