Student Performance in Bitewing Caries Detection: Artificial Intelligence Versus Alternative E-learning

This study compared 3 methods for teaching caries detection in bitewings: a prerecorded lecture, a preannotated dataset, and an artificial intelligence (AI)-based web application.

Fifty-two dental students annotated carious lesions in 50 bitewings using minimum bounding boxes. After initial annotations, students were divided into 3 groups according to the training method: the Lecture Group (n = 16) received a prerecorded lecture on caries detection in bitewings, the Dataset Group (n = 17) had access to 50 bitewings annotated by a dentist, and the AI Group (n = 19) used an AI-based web application. After training, all students annotated caries in 50 previously unseen bitewings. Student annotations before and after training were compared to a reference standard of 3 experienced dentists. The evaluation was stratified according to the training method and stage of studies: preclinical (n = 16), junior clinical (n = 15), and senior clinical (n = 21).

All training methods significantly improved the mean number of errors, intersection over union of matching annotations, and accuracy. Sensitivity increased significantly in the Dataset Group (from 0.62 ± 0.14 to 0.78 ± 0.08) and the AI Group (from 0.68 ± 0.15 to 0.73 ± 0.12), as opposed to the Lecture Group, where a significant increase in specificity was observed (from 0.94 ± 0.09 to 0.96 ± 0.05). The stage of studies impacted the results; the extent of improvement decreased with increasing clinical experience.

While the 3 training methods varied in their impact on the confusion matrix components, they yielded comparable overall improvements. The AI-based web application could serve as an educational tool for caries detection in bitewings, especially for dental students with limited clinical experience.

This study shows that learning bitewing caries detection with an AI tool yields improvements comparable to other tested e-learning methods. Evaluating and comparing established e-learning and AI teaching methods is key to optimising AI-assisted education for better learning outcomes in dental training.