Using Artificial Intelligence to Detect Gum Inflammation

An interesting article titled “Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence-Based Photographic Detection of Gingivitis” appears in the International Dental Journal written by Reinhard Chun Wang Chau and et.al., 2023. The article used artificial intelligence (AI) to provide automated visual plaque control advice based on intraoral photographs. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that is categorised into gingivitis and periodontitis with reversible and irreversible tissue damages. It is beleived to affect mroe than 50% of the world. Periodontal disease is caused by accumulation of plaque biofilm along the gingival margin, which causes local gingival inflammation. As inflammation occurs at the gingival margin, redness, swelling, and loss of stippling appearance as loss of gingival fiber attachment are observed which are changes detected visually by dentists. The study used a deep learning algorithm named DeepLabv3+ built on Keras with TensorFlow to analyze intraoral photographs … Read more

Dentists Seek new Guidelines for Gum Disease

An interesting article titled “When is periodontal maintenance not enough?: The need for clinical guidance,” appears in the Journal of the American Dental Association published on January 21, 2023, written by Stephen K. Harrel and et. al. The article discusses how dentistry should seek to make new guidelines that address the management of periodontal patients who have continued inflammation. In the article discussion is made of how scaling and root planing is typically the first treatment for periodontal disease does not always eliminate inflammation. The initial treatment of periodontal disease consists of the removal of biofilm and calculus and patient education to help them continue to maintain oral hygiene in the future. The authors feel that in the case when inflammation persists, dentists should discuss to the patient advanced therapies and the risks of not undergoing these therapies while also … Read more

Natural Supplements to Improve your Periodontal Health

Taking natural supplements can provide excellent health benefits. Previously, on this site there has been discussion of how the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil could help potentially improve periodontitis, see the post Fish Oil to Help Periodontal Disease. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that is increasingly the cause of tooth loss and a common reason for needing to have wisdom teeth extracted. It is the sixth most common disease in the world. Different pharmaceutical drugs can be used for treatment; however, many are instead interested in natural therapies. Fortunately, research continues to show that omega-3 fatty acids can be used as an adjunct to periodontal therapy. Omega fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested with food or obtained through supplementation. In a study titled “What is the … Read more