CATEGORY AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST113 P: +61 2 8921 0048 E: service@gammatech.com.au W: www.gammatech.com.au Seeing decay before it spreads: how AI is bringing new clarity to caries detection By Martina Dietrich Tooth decay is among the most widespread health conditions worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, untreated dental caries in permanent teeth is the most prevalent condition globally, affecting billions of people. For dentists, it’s also one of the most deceptively complex conditions to diagnose. The earliest signs of decay often appear as subtle changes in enamel density – faint shadows that can be easily overlooked among the hundreds of shades of grey that make up a digital radiograph. With the help of Pearl’s Second Opinion® radiologic AI, these subtle cues no longer go unseen. The AI distinguishes between early and advanced caries, revealing how far each lesion extends through enamel, dentin, and cementum. The result is sharper clinical insight – and patients who understand why early action matters. Why early decay is easy to miss Radiographic interpretation relies heavily on a clinician’s eye for contrast and subtle detail. Fatigue, lighting, imaging equipment, and even monitor settings can make borderline lesions difficult to assess – especially when comparing older and newer images, where small differences in angulation or exposure can make a lesion appear larger or smaller than it really is. The difference between an early enamel lesion and one that has progressed into dentin can be almost imperceptible, which is why even experienced clinicians will often interpret the same x-ray slightly differently. That’s where AI steps in, offering a consistent, objective view that helps clinicians see what the human eye might miss. How Pearl sees what we can’t Trained on millions of expertly annotated radiographs, Pearl’s Second Opinion® uses advanced computer vision technology to analyse each image, pixel by pixel. It identifies even the most minute changes in radiographic density that indicate early enamel demineralisation – subtle variations far too small for the human eye to reliably detect. When potential decay is found, the AI classifies it as incipient or progressed caries and provides a percentage breakdown showing how far the lesion has advanced through each layer of the tooth. Pearl also features a built-in tooth segmentation tool, which highlights enamel, dentin, and cementum in distinct colours, allowing patients to follow along and truly understand their diagnosis. What once relied purely on clinical interpretation is now supported by measurable, visual data. The result is a consistent, evidencebased view that helps dentists catch decay earlier, confirm their clinical judgement with confidence, and guide patients with greater clarity. When patients can see what their clinician sees, conversations shift from uncertainty to understanding – and from delay to prevention. “When patients view their own radiographs in colour and with AIannotations, the conversation changes completely,” says Dr Helen Powis of Best St Dental. “They understand the difference between early and advanced decay, and they want to act before it gets worse.” The 37 % difference Dental teams using Pearl detect, on average, 37 % more disease than those relying on standard human review. This isn’t about over-diagnosis – it’s about visibility. AI highlights the subtle pathologies the eye can easily miss, ensuring early-stage caries and other findings are recognised, tracked, and treated before they progress into major restorative cases. Studies also show a 24 % increase in case acceptance when colour-coded AI visuals and tooth segmentation are used during consultations. When patients can clearly see where decay is beginning and how far it has advanced, the need for treatment becomes unmistakable. “Before Pearl, patients had to take my word for it,” says Dr Michael Salloum of Smile Doctor. “Now they see the early decay themselves. It builds trust and makes prevention the obvious choice.” The integration of radiologic AI marks a turning point in how dental teams understand and manage decay. With tools like Pearl’s Second Opinion®, clinicians gain both a sharper eye and a shared language with their patients. By combining precision detection with clear visual storytelling, AI turns every x-ray into an opportunity for prevention, creating a future where fewer patients need the drill because their decay was caught while it was still reversible. Ready to see how Pearl’s can help your team detect decay earlier and improve patient outcomes? Contact Gamma Tech, Pearl’s official distributor in the ANZ region, for a free live demo of Second Opinion®. X AI Pearl visualises progressed caries with clear, colour-coded overlays. Paired with the tooth segmentation tool, it allows patients to see – often for the first time – exactly what you, as their dental professional, see. Pearl’s annotations draw attention to subtle structural changes, such as incipient caries, that may otherwise go unnoticed – allowing clinicians to monitor or intervene before decay progresses into dentin.
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