Integrating AI in dental practices

Gary Salman explains how to reap the benefits of AI more safely

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to permeate various healthcare sectors, dental specialty practices such as orthodontics, endodontics, implants, and pediatric dentistry stand to benefit significantly from its integration. AI offers vast potential to enhance diagnostics, streamline patient management, and boost operational efficiency. However, with these advancements come critical considerations around patient data protection and regulatory compliance as well as the need to maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security and privacy rules.

The benefits of artificial intelligence

1. Enhanced diagnostics and patient care

AI has revolutionized diagnostic processes by leveraging machine-learning algorithms to analyze complex datasets, such as radiographic images. This technology can assist in predicting tooth movement and treatment outcomes, enhancing the diagnostic accuracy of decay and anomalies in x-rays, and monitoring patient treatment progress.

2. Streamlined patient management

The automation of routine administrative tasks that AI can handle, from appointment scheduling to patient follow-ups, frees up valuable time for dental professionals to focus on patient care. It also facilitates better patient communication through personalized reminders and post-treatment care instructions, enhancing patient satisfaction and engagement.

3. Operational efficiency

AI tools can optimize inventory management and predict patient flow, leading to better resource allocation and reduced operational costs. Predictive analytics can also take multiple data inputs from systems such as practice management, financial reporting, and insurance claims to identify areas where your practice could improve for growth.

Protecting patient records and ensuring HIPAA compliance

With the integration of AI, safeguarding patient information becomes paramount. Dental practices must adhere to HIPAA regulations, which mandate the protection of individual health information. Here are key considerations:

• Data storage and flow: Encrypt all stored and transmitted patient data to prevent unauthorized access. This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it remains unreadable to unauthorized individuals. AI often requires your data to be analyzed and stored in many places at a given time. This creates additional risk for your practice, because the bigger your digital footprint, the bigger the risk. Some AI applications can store your data on 3-4 different server networks at a given time.
• Data access controls: Implement strict access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive information. Use multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security. Many AI companies either purposely or inadvertently share your patient data, with or without your permission. Ask the AI company for their policies for data sharing and retention.
• Regular internal and external audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with HIPAA standards. Internal audits help maintain the integrity of the data protection mechanisms put in place within your practice — but don’t neglect third-party risk. Unfortunately, many AI companies are still in “start-up” mode. Often hiding behind a “HIPAA Compliant” badge, they may fail to have anything more than basic security precautions in place to protect your patient data, putting you at a tremendous risk in the event of a breach.

Best practices for cybersecurity

To protect against cyber threats, dental practices should adopt comprehensive cybersecurity measures so they can identify and mitigate cyber risk. The “Cybersecurity Standard of Care for Dental Practices” includes the following:

• Vulnerability identification and remediation: Hackers use sophisticated tools to identify vulnerabilities on your firewall and computers and leverage these weaknesses to break in and exploit your network. Cybersecurity companies offer sophisticated tools that scan your computers and firewalls daily looking for these exploitable vulnerabilities. The more sophisticated scanners not only identify the vulnerabilities on the computers but can autonomously remediate them.
• Staff cyber training: Educate staff on cybersecurity best practices, including recognizing phishing attempts and safe internet usage. Regular training sessions will help maintain a security-conscious culture within the practice. To be HIPAA compliant, this must be an ongoing, documented process, not a quick “over lunch” conversation. Seek out cybersecurity companies that offer comprehensive training and understand the unique vulnerabilities in workflows of dental practices.
• Penetration testing: An ethical hacker should be attempting to break into your network at least twice per year to test the defensive measures of your network. This test should not be performed by your IT company, but an independent cybersecurity company.
• Incident response plan: Develop a written response plan for potential cyberattacks or any emergency that could disrupt your practice. This plan should outline the steps for containment, investigation, and communication to minimize the impact of the emergency. Rehearse the plan annually to ensure all team members know their role when responding, and to evaluate for any needed improvements to the plan.
• AI-based anti-virus: Utilize more advanced anti-virus software that leverages AI to detect and fight back against more sophisticated attacks. This software must be managed and watched 24/7 by security engineers to be most effective.

Practical steps for successful AI integration

1. Choosing the right AI tools

Select AI solutions that meet the specific needs of your practice. Evaluate various tools based on their functionality, ease of integration, and compliance features. Consider solutions that offer seamless integration with existing systems and have a proven track record in the dental industry. Ask to review their third-party cybersecurity evaluation and HIPAA risk assessment. You don’t want their breach to become your breach.

2. Staff adoption

Ensure that your team is well-prepared to work with AI technologies. Comprehensive training and documented processes will facilitate a smoother transition in their workflows and help staff understand the benefits, risks, and limitations of AI tools. Staff should always use caution when uploading any data that contains confidential information such as employee or patient data into these systems. You may be violating State and Federal laws without realizing it.

3. Ask for a proof of concept

The best way to assess if adding AI to your practice will provide value is to ask for a 90-day proof of concept period to fully understand how it will function. However, you’ll want to be sure you have reviewed their data handling and security protocols prior to giving the tool access to your data.

Balancing advanced technologies with data security

Integrating AI offers transformative benefits, from improved diagnostics to enhanced operational efficiency. However, this technological advancement requires a balanced approach that prioritizes patient data protection and regulatory compliance. By implementing robust cybersecurity measures and choosing the right AI tools, dental specialty practices can harness the power of AI successfully. As AI continues to evolve, embracing these technologies while maintaining vigilance over data security will ensure that your practice remains both innovative and compliant in its operations.