Artificial intelligence for binary dental caries diagnosis using intraoral images and dental radiographs: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AI models showed good diagnostic accuracy for caries detection across imaging modalities and analytical units. However, given the substantial heterogeneity and limitations in study quality and reference standards, these summary estimates should be interpreted with caution. AI-based systems may serve as complementary decision-support tools in clinical practice, but further standardization, external validation, and high-quality multicenter studies are required before broad clinical implementation.