Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being applied in dentistry due to its ability to process large datasets and support clinical decision-making. This study aimed to review current applications of AI across dental specialties and evaluate its potential for clinical implementation. A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases from 2020 to 2025. The findings indicate that AI is effectively applied in dental imaging, endodontics, periodontology, orthodontics, implant dentistry, and prosthodontics. Deep learning models, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have demonstrated high performance, with approximately 89.0% accuracy and an AUC of 0.917 in caries detection. AI also improves workflow efficiency and consistency in clinical practice. However, its clinical adoption remains limited due to the lack of standardized datasets, insufficient long-term clinical validation, and issues related to model interpretability. In conclusion, AI is a promising supportive tool to enhance treatment outcomes in dentistry but cannot replace the role of clinicians.