AI is already reading your dental X-rays and you probably have no idea

When was the last time your dentist mentioned that artificial intelligence was scanning your X-rays before you even sat down in the chair? General dentist Sowjanya Gunukula explains how AI is quietly transforming routine dental checkups in ways most patients never hear about. Based on her KevinMD article, "How AI in dentistry is changing your next checkup," this conversation breaks down the two major applications reshaping dental care today: radiographic analysis that color-codes cavities and bone loss in real time, and predictive analytics that sort patients into risk categories for more personalized treatment plans. Gunukula describes how AI acts as a second set of eyes that never gets tired, catching early problems on busy days that the human eye might miss. You'll learn why dentistry is shifting from reactive to preventive, how AI-driven risk profiling can mean less time in the chair and lower costs, and why patients should feel empowered to ask their dentist how these tools are being used. She also addresses concerns about over-reliance and explains why responsible adoption keeps the patient relationship at the center. If you want to understand what is already happening behind the scenes at your next dental visit, this episode is worth your time. Tune into our episode "2026 Cholesterol Guidelines: LDL goals, lipoprotein(a), and coronary calcium scoring," brought to you by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. For the first time in eight years, LDL cholesterol goals have changed, and preventive cardiologist Seth Baum says the new guidelines are a long-overdue course correction. He breaks down the new LDL targets for your highest-risk patients, why the LDL hypothesis should be retired in favor of the LDL fact, why lipoprotein(a) screening finally belongs in every patient's workup, what a coronary calcium score over 300 really means for how aggressively you treat, and how to talk to statin-skeptical patients without losing their trust. Listen now at KevinMD.com/cholesterol. VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/cholesterol Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended