Development and validation of an AI-enabled oral score using large-scale dental data

This research introduces Oral Score Basic (OS-B), a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) derived methodology designed to provide a comprehensive, objective assessment of individual teeth and overall oral health, initially focused on dental conditions. Leveraging data from more than 340,000 patients across 2,558 U.S. dental practices, OS-B combines radiographic findings and periodontal probing depths with a treatment probability-weighted cost function to quantify the severity of dental conditions. The OS-B score aims to address limitations in prior oral health scoring systems by incorporating nuanced clinical data accounting for disease severity, and providing a scalable, data-driven approach to measuring oral health. This score was developed using Overjet's FDA-cleared AI platform, which detects dental conditions using bitewing and periapical radiographs, providing a detailed analysis of each tooth. OS-B's effectiveness was validated by demonstrating a strong correlation between tooth scores and treatment costs, surpassing the predictive power of previous scoring systems. This research presents a foundational framework for AI-enabled oral health scoring, with potential applications in value-based care, population risk analysis, and consumer health management. Future iterations may expand to include additional dimensions of oral health beyond clinical conditions such as risk factors and measures of oral function and esthetics, further enhancing the score's public health and clinical utility and patient engagement.