Overjet has recently announced the launch of Overjet for Kids, a dental AI application which aims to help paediatric dentists build trust with patients by catching subtle tooth decay in x-rays before children feel pain, and by better explaining their recommendations to parents. It is reportedly the only technology cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect, outline, and quantify tooth decay in children ages 4 and above, a critical time to prevent future problems.
According to the company, in a rigorous clinical study conducted for the FDA, 100% of dentists were more accurate in detecting cavities when using Overjet for Kids, compared to their evaluations without it. The AI is trained to analyse both primary and permanent teeth, which allows Overjet to highlight its findings with colourful outlines that kids and parents can understand.
“Every parent wants to be confident that their child is getting the world’s best dental care,” said Dr Teresa Dolan, Overjet’s chief dental officer. “But prior to this technology, there was no way for parents to see what a dentist sees in their child’s x-ray, which can lead some parents to not understand the problem or even decline necessary treatment. Overjet for Kids empowers them to make truly informed decisions, setting kids up for a lifetime of good oral health.”
Early childhood is the most important time to prevent oral diseases, which are correlated with serious long-term health risks, such as cancer and diabetes. Yet more than half of American children between ages 6-11 have cavities, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Overjet’s AI provides dentists with the an objective standard that quantifies pathologies like tooth decay, down to the millimetre. In the aforementioned study, dentists missed 57% less cavities when using Overjet, compared to when unassisted by AI and because Overjet also improves patient education, dental practices that use the tool have increased their overall case acceptance by an average of 25%.
“My favourite thing about Overjet for Kids is the early detection,” said Dr Matt Hicks of The Airway Dentists, an Overjet customer. “If we catch it early, kids can change their habits at home first, before we have to go in and do any irreversible work. And at the same time, our case acceptance has gone up, because parents can just see so much more.”
Overjet for Kids relies on clearances from the FDA, with the primary clearance is for detecting paediatric caries — commonly known as cavities or tooth decay — in patients ages 4 and above, covering both primary and permanent teeth. Overjet’s technology is unique in that it is cleared to precisely outline and quantify instances of caries, allowing dentists to monitor changes over time.
A second clearance, called Charting Assist, expands the scope of Overjet for Kids by enabling the AI to detect dental structures in patients ages 5 and above. These include natural structures like enamel and pulp, as well as artificial structures from previous interventions, such as crowns and fillings.
According to the company, the launch of Overjet for Kids comes at a time of rapid growth and innovation for the company. On 5 Mar, Overjet announced it had raised US$53m of Series C funding, the largest investment in the history of dental AI. This funding will fuel the development of products that extend its AI platform to more patients and use cases — improving oral health for all.
Related: Overjet raises US$53m, reportedly largest investment in dental AI
