aiadvisory, aiap

LLM-Powered Treatment Plans: A New Era in Dental Care

By Laurence Liew

Q&M Dental Group’s AI-Powered Treatment Plans: A New Era in Dental Care

As the Director of AI Innovation at AI Singapore, I’ve always believed in the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) across various industries. Our latest collaboration with Q&M Dental Group, a leading dental healthcare provider in Asia, is a testament to this belief. Together, we’ve developed a groundbreaking AI module called “Treatment Plan,” which is set to revolutionize the dental industry.

The Power of AI in Dentistry

The “Treatment Plan” module is a game-changer. It leverages cutting-edge AI technology, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), to analyze patient data, including X-rays and dental records, to generate personalized treatment plans. By combining the strengths of conventional clinical decision support systems with the advanced processing capabilities of LLMs, this module offers a comprehensive and tailored approach to dental care. It prioritizes precision, reliability, and patient-centered care, ensuring that each patient receives the most suitable treatment recommendations.

Benefits for Patients and Dental Professionals

Patients are the ultimate beneficiaries of this AI-powered solution. The module enables early detection of oral health issues, provides a range of treatment options based on individual needs, and empowers patients to make informed decisions about their dental care. The iterative platform continuously learns and adapts, ensuring that patients receive the most up-to-date and relevant recommendations.

But it’s not just patients who benefit. For dental professionals, the “Treatment Plan” module streamlines the diagnostic process, reducing the time spent analyzing X-rays and generating treatment plans. This allows them to focus on delivering superior care to their patients, enhancing both clinical outcomes and the overall patient experience.

A Seamless Patient Journey

With the introduction of the “Treatment Plan” module, Q&M Dental Group now offers a complete AI-powered digital dentistry experience. From the initial consultation to X-ray analysis, pathology detection, treatment recommendations, and a personalized dental health report, the entire patient journey is streamlined and enhanced. This seamless integration of AI technology not only improves efficiency but also enhances patient satisfaction by providing a more comprehensive and personalized experience.

A Collaborative Effort for the Future of Dental Care

The development of the “Treatment Plan” was through AI Singapore’s Short Industry Project (SIP) program. EM2AI, a subsidiary of Q&M, has been able to leverage its domain expertise in dental care together with AI Singapore’s AI engineering resources and support to create a cutting-edge solution that is set to revolutionize the dental industry.

This project is an example of how AI Singapore is fulfilling its mission to anchor deep national capabilities in AI, creating social and economic impacts. By partnering with industry leaders like Q&M, we are not only improving patient outcomes but also transforming how dental professionals approach treatment planning. This innovative solution is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential of AI to transform industries and improve lives.

Meet the AI Engineer Behind the “Treatment Plan”

The development of the “Treatment Plan” module was spearheaded by Mr. Benjamin Phang, an AI engineer at AI Singapore. Despite not having a background in computing initially, Benjamin exemplifies the program’s commitment to nurturing diverse talent and fostering a passion for AI. Notably, a mere 20% of our apprentices possess a degree in computer science, while the rest come from a variety of disciplines, proving that with the right mindset and training, one can achieve success in AI.

Here are Benjamin’s thoughts:

Can you tell me a bit about your background and how you became interested in AI?
I am a physicist by training and throughout my studies I was exposed to AI in different forms during my internships. For example, we implemented reinforcement learning to stabilize a laser in a lab, and during my internship at CERN, I came to know of the TrackML challenge. However, outside of that, I have been inspired by the OpenAI Five which was once again a Reinforcement Learning Project.


What motivated you to join AI Singapore’s AI Apprenticeship Program (AIAP)?
My first job post-graduation was that of a data engineer in a startup, however, as is expected in a startup, I wore many hats and one of those was a data analyst. However, as I was doing my data analyst job, I felt like there must be something better, something more current that I could provide. It was at that moment that a friend introduced me to AIAP, and I felt like my prayers were answered. A structured program which gave me skills that were vetted through the industry was exactly what I wanted, and I found it through AIAP.

How did your experience in the AIAP prepare you for the “Treatment Plan” project?
Through the deep-skilling phase in the AIAP, we learnt the basics about natural language processing (NLP), from cleaning input text by removing stop words to the various tokenizers, generation of embeddings and the training of models like BERT. However, what was most valuable was the presence of mentors which served to both answer the questions that I had and also cultivate the passion for NLP and other fields.


What were some of the specific challenges you faced during the development of the “Treatment Plan” module, and how did you overcome them?
The initial challenge we encountered was the presence of unlabelled data. Although EM2AI provided us with a substantial amount of high-quality data, manual labelling was not feasible. By creating a prototype draft of labels and then refining it with the help of dental-trained staff, we were able to expedite the labelling process. The second challenge involved the subpar performance of the native model, which stemmed from the use of a generic, off-the-shelf embedding model. To address this, we developed a dental-specific embedding model from the ground up, which significantly enhanced our performance.

A Testament to the Power of AI and Human Ingenuity

The successful development and deployment of the “Treatment Plan” module again shows the proven capability development methodologies of the AIAP and 100E/SIP. The project also highlights the importance of collaboration between AI engineers and domain experts in creating innovative solutions that address real-world challenges.

Benjamin’s AI journey from a non-computing background to a skilled AI professional is an inspiring example of how passion, dedication, and the right opportunities can lead to a fulfilling career in AI. It also underscores the importance of programs like AIAP in nurturing diverse talent and building a thriving AI ecosystem.

Read the press release here: Q&M Dental Group Advanced “Treatment Plan” AI-Module Released Today (acnnewswire.com)


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