TLDR
Smartphone apps that use artificial intelligence can help spot tooth decay accurately, making dental checkups easier and more available, especially for people who can't easily visit a dentist.
Summary
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1 Study Aim
The main goal of this systematic review is to find out how well artificial intelligence (AI) tools that use smartphone photos can detect dental caries (tooth decay). The review also looks at how easy these tools are to use in real dental clinics and community settings. It aims to compare the accuracy of AI-based smartphone imaging with traditional methods, check if these tools are practical for everyday use, and identify what helps or hinders their use in regular dental care. Simply put: The study wants to see if AI-powered smartphone apps can reliably find tooth decay and be used easily in real life.
2 Study Design
The authors conducted a systematic review following PRISMA-DTA guidelines. They searched five major databases for studies up to March 2025. Fourteen studies were included, covering both clinical and laboratory (in vitro) research. The studies used different AI models, such as YOLO (You Only Look Once), DenseNet, and MobileNet, to analyze smartphone images of teeth. The review compared these AI tools to standard dental exams and measured how well they detected cavities. The authors also checked how easy the tools were to use and if they could work in real-world settings. Simply put: The researchers looked at many studies to see how well AI apps on phones can find cavities compared to regular dentist checks.
3 Findings
The review shows that AI-powered smartphone imaging tools can accurately detect dental caries, especially when the decay is obvious (cavitated lesions). Some AI models, like enhanced YOLO and DenseNet201, even performed better than less-experienced dentists. These tools are easy to use and could help with dental screening at home or in communities with limited dental care. However, the AI tools are less reliable for spotting early or hidden decay. The authors recommend more research to improve early detection, standardize image quality, and test these tools in real clinics. They also highlight the need for larger, more diverse datasets and better validation to ensure fairness and accuracy. Simply put: AI apps on smartphones work well for finding clear tooth decay, but they need more work to catch early problems and be trusted everywhere.