_ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MIXED REALITY IN IMPLANT DENTISTRY

Speaker_Dr. francesco Mangano

Abstract_ Two emerging technologies are poised to radically transform the field of implant surgery: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Mixed Reality (MR). AI refers to software or computer systems capable of solving complex problems that traditionally require human intervention and cognition. In dentistry, AI is now widely used for the automated identification and diagnosis of carious lesions, endodontic and cystic pathologies, and periodontal defects on two-dimensional images and radiographs (intraoral or panoramic). More recently, AI has been applied to the automated detection and segmentation of anatomical structures from three-dimensional radiographic examinations (cone-beam computed tomography, CBCT). These capabilities are made possible by machine learning, through which computers learn from data by recognizing intrinsic statistical patterns and structures. Today, AI can automatically design dental implant positioning, streamlining and enhancing the digital workflow. Mixed Reality (MR), on the other hand, refers to a technology capable of generating high-definition virtual content and models (holograms) superimposed onto the real environment, thereby enriching and enhancing the user’s perception of reality. A hologram is a 3D model created through photographic projection. The operator wears a headset with transparent lenses that projects virtual objects into the real world, allowing simultaneous interaction with both the physical and virtual environments. MR is currently fundamental for presenting treatment plans to patients, collaborating remotely with colleagues (dentists and dental technicians), and planning implant surgery. The ultimate development of these technologies lies in dynamic, holographically guided implant surgery, driven and assisted by AI.