Dental AI Startup gains FDA clearance
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- Published: Thursday, 26 May 2022 07:48
- Written by Peter Ingle
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As Artifical Intelligence, AI, plays an ever increasing role in our lives, it is only a matter of time before it becomes as essential a part of clinical dentistry, as a mirror and probe have been in the past.
Forbes has reported on AI startup Overjet, receiving its second FDA approval. Founded in 2018, last year the company obtained FDA clearance for its technology to measure bone levels. The new clearance applies to detection and outlining of caries on radiographs.
The cloud based software connects with a practice management system, and runs in the background while the dental team work. It collects and analyses data from examinations and X-rays in near real-time. By the time the dentist is ready to show the patient their X-rays, the software can show caries outlined in red, and even map it’s progression over time. Similarly bone levels can be quantified. This also acts as an aid to communication in the surgery, assisting dentists in sharing accurate and objective information with their patients.
CEO and co-founder of Overjet, Wardah Inam, said that the American public were generally uninformed about what goes on in their mouths, pointing out that most don’t even know how many teeth they have. The Overjet technology could help patients and clinicians alike by closing that information gap.
Inam emphasised that the rate of treatment acceptance in dentistry is low because patients have historically had little knowledge of their oral health. She was inspired to start Overjet after a trip to a new dentist where she received advice that was drastically different from what she’d heard from a previous dentist, and was left feeling confused.
In the four years since Overjet’s launch, Inam has assembled a team of PhDs and dentists from MIT and Harvard as well as recruiting from organisations including Amazon, Uber, and Dentsply Sirona. The software has gone on to become the first dental AI product of its kind cleared by the FDA, though competitors have now emerged.
Dr Eric Tobler, national clinical director of Mortenson Dental Partners, says the dental group has “been impressed with Overjet’s ability to help our patients understand and visualize what’s going on in their mouth.”
“This is like dentistry on steroids,” says Dr Ankoo Raina, chief dental officer of Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics in Texas, an Overjet customer. “It helps us detect missed diagnoses, integrate providers, follow higher standards for quality care, and also make sure our providers are giving excellent oral health solutions ensuring our patients get to keep their natural teeth for life.”
Overjet, is valued at $425 million. Those doubting it’s potential, should note that it has been taken up not only by healthcare providers but also by insurance companies, with 16 American dental insurers already using it.
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