Every game-changing technology in dentistry—from full-zirconia restorations to CAD/CAM, and digital impressions—follows a similar path: it shows up as a clunky, even ridiculed novelty, then suddenly breaks out and keeps getting better. Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently marching the same path, only faster and louder.
What AI Really Means
AI is technology that learns from data to perform tasks we once left to human judgment, such as spotting patterns in radiographs, proposing crown anatomy, and even drafting chart notes—and it gets sharper each time it repeats the job.
How We Got Here
In general tech, the fuse was lit in the 1950s, it flickered through rule-based expert systems, flared in 2012 when deep learning beat humans at image recognition, and erupted in 2022 when ChatGPT turned AI into dinner-table talk. Dentistry has traced that arc on a shorter delay: pixel-counting studies in the 1980s, rule-based detectors in the 1990s, and convolutional neural networks out-scoring clinicians on interproximal decay in the 2010s.
I was fortunate to witness the swell firsthand. In 2005, while helping launch Sirona Dental’s Biogeneric CAD software for CEREC and inLab, I watched software morph a statistical “average tooth” into patient-specific anatomy in seconds, confirming machines could design restorations that looked hand-carved1,2—years before today’s AI-designed crown boom.
The State of Play (mid-2025)
The build-up phase is over. Pearl’s Second Opinion is now FDA cleared for both 2D radiographs and CBCT, turning AI into a clinically sanctioned second set of eyes.3
On the restorative side, platforms such as 3Shape Automate and Glidewell CrownAI have delivered more than four million crown designs with over 90% acceptance, in just about 90 seconds, and often for under three dollars each.4,5
Adoption is accelerating: a LinkedIn-reported survey says about one-third of dentists already weave AI into daily workflows, which was echoed by a prior survey from Dentaly.org.6,7 Patients approve; an April 2025 Overjet survey of 1,000 US adults found that 85% feel more confident seeing AI-annotated X-rays, and 31% believe their dentists already use the tech.8 Trust builds when clinicians can show, not just tell.
Where Momentum Points Next
AI already designs night-guards, optimizes CAM nesting, and matches shades more accurately than the eye. Single-unit crowns are giving way to AI-built bridges, while prep-feedback tools are surfacing. Over the next 2 years, expect scanners that flag margins on-the-fly and chat-based design copilots that adjust emergence profiles in seconds. Within 5 years, watch for robotic polishing and chairside "scan, design, print" dentures as costs continue to drop and application programming interfaces mature.
Quick-Start AI Plan for Your Lab
AI is no longer a side project in dental labs; it’s a competitive necessity. The sooner you experiment, the faster your team will master the tools that are already reshaping turnaround times and margins. Use this three-step roadmap to get started:
1. Look at efficiencies: Target repetitive, tedious steps first; free up skilled technicians for work that AI cannot handle yet.
2. Install easy-win software: Begin with lightweight tools, smarter design, nesting, and shade matching. Expect a short learning dip before speed picks up.
3. Expect resistance and iterate: Change challenges everyone. Take micro-steps, refine workflows, and schedule the next upgrade before today’s edge becomes tomorrow’s routine.
Take-Home
AI is tracing the same adoption arc that turned all-ceramics, implants, and digital impressions from curiosities into non-negotiables—soon it will be invisible yet indispensable. The headline revolution (initial FDA clearances and ChatGPT buzz) is already yesterday’s news. What’s next is quieter but stronger: hundreds of micro-tweaks that shave off minutes, elevate quality, and replace guesswork with more reliable data. Labs that plug in now will begin to compound those gains for years; those that hesitate may soon wonder, “Why can’t we keep up?”
Norbert Ulmer
CEO
Gro3X, Inc.
Charlotte, North Carolina
References
1. Arslan Y, Nemli SK, Güngör MB, Tamam E, Yilmaz H. Evaluation of biogeneric design techniques with CEREC CAD/CAM system. J Adv Prosthodont. 2015;7(6):431-436.
2. Dunn M. Biogeneric and user-friendly: the Cerec 3D software upgrade V3.00. Int J Comput Dent. 2007;10(1):109-117.
3. Pearl Becomes First Dental AI Company Cleared by FDA for Both 2D and 3D Imaging. News release. Pearl. https://www.hellopearl.com/press-release/pearl-becomes-first-dental-ai-company-cleared-by-fda-for-both-2d-and-3d-imaging?utm_source=chatgpt.com. May 27, 2025. Accessed June 25, 2025.
4. 3Shape Automate. 3Shape. https://www.3shape.com/en-us/services/automate?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed June 25, 2025.
5. Azernikov S. Better Crowns with Artificial Intelligence: Reduced Chair Time and Fewer Remakes. Chairside Magazine. 2025, 20(2). https://glidewelldental.com/education/chairside-magazine/volume-20-issue-2/better-crowns-with-ai?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed June 25, 2025.
6. The Rise of AI in Dentistry: How More Than One Third of Dentists are Embracing Technology. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rise-ai-dentistry-how-more-than-one-third-dentists-embracing-l482c/. June 13, 2024. Accessed June 25, 2025.
7. <AI> in Dentistry Survey. Dentaly.org. https://www.dentaly.org/us/research/ai-in-dentistry/. Accessed June 25, 2025.
8. The Overjet Patient Survey: What Do We Really Think About the Dentist? Overjet. https://www.overjet.com/blog/the-overjet-patient-survey-what-do-we-really-think-about-the-dentist-?utm_source=chatgpt.com. April 8, 2025. Accessed June 25, 2025.
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