Where Is the Artificial Intelligence Applied in Dentistry? Systematic Review and Literature Analysis

Area of Science:

• Dental research
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into dentistry is a rapidly evolving field.
• Understanding the publication trends and thematic focus of AI in dental literature is crucial for tracking research progress and identifying future directions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the frequency of AI utilization in dental publications from 2011 to 2021.
• To identify the main dental fields and topics addressed by AI-focused research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
• Inclusion criteria focused on original articles and reviews in English concerning dental AI applications.
• Data analysis involved quantitative assessment of publication trends and qualitative assessment of research topics.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in AI dental publications was observed, with an average annual growth of 21.6% over the decade and 34.9% in the last five years.
• The primary focus areas in dental AI research were identified as radiology (26.36%), orthodontics (18.31%), and general scope (17.10%).
• Other significant areas included restorative dentistry (12.09%), surgery (11.87%), and education (5.63%).

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a substantial growth in AI research within the dental field.
• Current AI applications in dentistry are predominantly centered on digital diagnostics, particularly radiology.
• The trend suggests a broadening implementation of AI across various dental specialties in the future.