The state of AI in dentistry
In short AI in dentistry is mostly used in two places: software that reads your X-rays and marks possible decay or bone loss, and 'scribe' tools that write up the clinical notes. In 2026 the UK's biggest dental groups started using both across their practices, so if you go to a large chain, AI has probably looked at your X-rays. The evidence has not kept up. Most of these products were cleared on the makers' own data. There are almost no independent trials showing that patients end up better off, and a regulator review found no UK studies at all. Patients are bringing ChatGPT-written treatment plans to appointments, and studies find chatbots good at common questions but weaker on specialist ones. UK regulators have said clinicians stay responsible for AI's output but have not yet written dental-specific rules.
What it found
- The UK's largest dental groups have committed to AI: mydentist chose Overjet for X-ray analysis, Gensmile is rolling out Pearl across its 38 practices and PortmanDentex signed a two-year deal for Heidi's AI scribe.
- Most dental imaging AI is cleared by regulators on manufacturer data: a December 2025 review of 29 FDA-cleared products found several with no peer-reviewed publications and no patient-outcome data.
- Dentists use AI mainly for X-rays and admin, not for deciding treatment: fewer than 5% of US dentists in an ADA survey use it for treatment recommendations, and 12% of dentists in a three-country poll had tried AI tools and stopped.
- General chatbots answer common dental questions reasonably well but are less reliable on specialist and higher-risk topics, and the studies say they should not replace a dentist's advice.
- UK regulators say the clinician remains responsible for anything AI produces, but the GDC has not yet issued dental-specific AI guidance, and AI scribes are not checked by any national body.
- Vendors promote AI partly as a way to raise 'case acceptance', and the published figures behind those claims come from the companies themselves, not from independent studies.
How it was made
Every development in the report comes from a public source dated from August 2025 to September 2026: trade press, regulators, journals and company announcements. Each one is dated and names its source, so you can read the original, and every link was checked when this edition was put together. It is a record of what happened, not advice.
A new edition replaces this one as things move. The latest is always on this page.