AI used to enhance student dental care

Students practice proper tooth-brushing techniques at a World Oral Health Day promotional event in Shenzhen in an undated file photo. Photos from WeChat account "深圳人工智能产业协会"

Shenzhen has launched China's first AI-based student oral health management platform, according to the city's chronic disease prevention and control center Wednesday, the eve of World Oral Health Day.

With technical support from Shenzhen Great Health Technology Co. Ltd., the platform has analyzed nearly 240,000 intraoral photos of nearly 60,000 students to date. Last year alone, it screened nearly 33,000 students in 413 schools across the city.

Dental cavities rank as the third most common disease in humans, with an estimated prevalence rate of about 45%, affecting nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. 

With this AI "dentist," parents can conduct oral examinations for their children from home. After examining photos of children's teeth uploaded by parents, the AI platform directly circles the problematic areas, helping doctors immediately locate affected teeth when conducting treatment.

A mother surnamed Li, a resident of Futian District, praised the platform for its convenience after using it for her 8-year-old daughter.

"All I had to do was take a panoramic photo of my daughter's mouth and upload it to the platform," she said. "Within three seconds, I received a detailed report on my phone, indicating which teeth needed treatment and even suggesting specific actions."

Li then made an appointment with a designated dental clinic near her home through the platform and took her child there for treatment the next day.

"In the past, it would take a whole day for a doctor to screen a class of students at a school. Now, with the platform, it only takes three seconds to screen a child," said Xiong Jingfan, director of the department of child and adolescent health at the chronic disease prevention and control center.

Dr. Li Juhong, an oral physician at the center, said she screened 1,200 students at a primary school in Luohu District in just two days with the aid of the platform. The AI identified 786 cases that needed care, with accuracy rates surpassing 96%.

Students learn proper tooth-brushing steps at a World Oral Health Day promotional event in Shenzhen.

The AI "dentist" not only examines teeth but also corrects brushing techniques in real-time. The platform includes an AI-enabled smart toothbrush with built-in sensors that monitor in real-time whether children are brushing their teeth correctly and generate a "tooth-brushing report."

Feedback from schools that have piloted the platform shows that the rate of students correctly brushing their teeth has increased from 58% to 89%.