Artificial intelligence has shown promise in many areas of healthcare, and dentistry is no exception. AI and machine learning are providing support for clinical decision-making and diagnosis—detecting issues that might otherwise be missed by the human eye and an exam alone. Now the dental AI company Overjet has expanded its platform to not only help dentists diagnose and treat gum disease but also to detect cavities as well.

The Boston-based company announced Monday that it had received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its software that uses AI to aid dentists in finding more cavities. Overjet’s Caries Assist is designed to reduce the rate of missed cavities. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the company used the software to analyze more than 7,000 tooth surfaces; by utilizing the technology, dentists were able to increase their rate of accurately detecting cavities by about one-third (32%), according to the company.

Overjet isn’t the only company that uses AI to help dentists detect cavities. VideaHealth has an AI-powered dental cavity detection algorithm that received FDA clearance earlier this month. The company boasted that its technology, similarly named Videa Caries Assist, set the industry standard for clinical accuracy and decreased the number of missed cavities by 43% in its FDA trial.

But Overjet said the company sets itself apart in the industry by having an AI-powered platform that’s able to both help in the detection of cavities and the diagnosis and treatment of gum disease. In May last year, Overjet received FDA clearance for the first AI-powered technology that helps measure bone levels in patients with gum disease, which can result in the loss of tissue and bone that support teeth. Dental Assist helps dental professionals detect and measure serious gum disease. The software provides more information for creating a treatment plan—like Caries Assist does for patients with cavities, according to the company.

“This FDA clearance (of Caries Assist) further validates the breadth of our AI platform,” said Terri Dolan, the company’s chief dental officer, in a statement. “Overjet goes beyond specific AI algorithms to act as a chairside, software as a medical device enhancing clinical decision-making in dental practices around the country.”

Overjet is a SaaS company, offering its technology to customers via a subscription. The company is current working with some of the largest dental groups and insurance companies in the U.S. and has seen explosive customer and partner demand, a spokesperson said in an email. It is now partnering with Benco Dental, the nation’s largest independent distributor of oral healthcare technology and supplies; Seattle Study Club, the world’s largest network of dental professionals; and Dental Care Alliance and Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics—some of the largest and fastest-growing dental service organizations in the country, according to the company.

Photo: NoSystem images, Getty Images