A smartphone-based oral health screening platform that uses artificial intelligence and user-captured photographs to identify common dental conditions and help older adults, caregivers, and dental providers monitor oral health
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A smartphone-based oral health screening platform that uses artificial intelligence and user-captured photographs to identify common dental conditions and help older adults, caregivers, and dental providers monitor oral health outside of the traditional dental office.
BACKGROUND:
Older adults experience a substantial burden of dental caries, periodontal disease, tooth loss, and other oral conditions, yet many face significant barriers to routine dental care. Mobility limitations, transportation difficulties, fixed incomes, and limited dental coverage can make regular in-person examinations difficult, particularly for elderly patients who require caregiver assistance. These barriers are especially important because poor oral health is associated with broader systemic conditions and can contribute to worsening overall health.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
The University at Buffalo technology, OralScan, is a smartphone application that combines guided image capture, on-device image-quality assessment, cloud-based artificial intelligence, and visual presentation of screening results. Users capture images of the front, upper, and lower teeth. Before an image is accepted, the application performs blur detection and verifies that the appropriate teeth are visible. The platform combines results from multiple oral views into unified dental-arch visualizations and supports longitudinal tracking of oral health findings. The current prototype targets seven conditions: calculus/plaque buildup, dental caries, oral lesions, gingivitis, hypodontia, tooth discoloration, and leukoplakia.
ADVANTAGES:
- Provides preliminary oral health screening using a standard smartphone rather than requiring an initial in-person dental examination.
- Targets seven common oral conditions within a single screening platform.
- Uses automated blur and tooth-presence checks to improve the quality and consistency of user-captured images.
APPLICATIONS:
- At-home oral health screening for older adults
- Remote oral health monitoring for mobility-limited patients
- Caregiver-assisted dental screening
- Teledentistry and remote dental triage
