Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept in the world of dentistry. It’s already making its presence known in clinical workflows, diagnostic support, and patient communication. But how do dental hygienists feel about this shift? A survey conducted recently by Heartland Dental and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) offers some insight and a window into the profession’s mindset. While many hygienists see opportunities for earlier disease detection, improved patient education, and enhanced efficiency, the majority also feel unprepared for AI’s integration into practice.1
These findings echo what dental professionals are seeing on the ground: curiosity, uncertainty, and cautious optimism. To better understand where AI fits into hygiene care today and where it might be headed, Inside Dental Hygiene spoke with experts from different corners of the industry. Each brings a distinct lens to a conversation that is as complex as it is timely.
JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, FADHA, a long-time educator and leader at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), offers a hopeful but grounded view of how AI is poised to elevate the hygiene profession without diminishing its human touch. Gurenlian has held nearly every role imaginable in the profession of dental hygiene: clinician, educator, administrator, researcher, consultant. Today, she serves as director of education, research & advocacy for the ADHA, and she brings both passion and a pragmatic eye to the conversation around AI in oral healthcare.
Gurenlian is both realistic and enthusiastic about AI’s potential in dental hygiene. From patient assessment and diagnosis to treatment planning, outcome monitoring, and even administrative support, Gurenlian sees AI as an expansive tool with the capacity to elevate care delivery.
“The way I see AI developing right now, I think it can influence almost every aspect of dental hygiene care,” she says.
For example, she notes that AI systems can analyze patient health data to help hygienists identify trends and risks, potentially even before they become clinically evident. “There’s promise in using AI to support periodontal and caries detection, early pathology recognition, and predictive treatment planning,” she explains. “It can also help us determine which treatment approaches a patient may be more successful with, based on their specific history, behaviors, and health status.”
Patient education is another area where AI shines, especially in improving health literacy. “Many of our patients speak languages other than English. Having AI-driven tools that provide instructions or care information in their native language is invaluable,” she says. From personalized post-op care instructions to home-care reminders through apps, AI is already contributing to better follow-through and more empowered patients.
But with any emerging technology, questions and concerns are inevitable. One of the most common fears Gurenlian hears from hygienists is the possibility that AI could replace them altogether. She addresses that head-on.
“I don’t see AI replacing hygienists. I honestly don’t. We are treating human beings, and human beings want human interaction,” she says. “AI may enhance our care, but it does not replace our critical thinking, our clinical judgment, or the connection we build with patients.”
She also pushes back against the idea that AI could so simplify hygiene that anyone could do it. “People forget that using AI still requires the brain of a hygienist. I have to determine: is it safe to treat this patient today? What are the risks? How does what I’m seeing match up with the patient’s medical history? AI can’t make those calls.”
As part of ADHA’s leadership, Gurenlian emphasizes the organization’s role in equipping hygienists to use AI responsibly and effectively. “We provide quality continuing education, both through regular webinars and our annual conference. This year, we’re offering two CE courses on AI specifically,” she says. Beyond education, ADHA also helps practitioners navigate the legal, ethical, and regulatory landscape of AI integration—from FDA approvals and cybersecurity to patient confidentiality and informed consent.
Still, she acknowledges that adoption won’t be immediate, or easy, for every practitioner. “There are barriers. One is simply the lack of higher-level education. Entry-level hygiene programs and CE courses aren’t yet robust enough to support widespread implementation,” she notes. Another is psychological: fear of making mistakes with a new tool, or reluctance to change workflows that feel familiar. “We like to be good at what we do. And with new tech, you have to give yourself permission to experiment, to not be perfect at first.”
What’s her advice for hygienists, both new and seasoned, who are unsure about dipping their toes into AI? “Take the first step. Invite companies into your practice for demos. Learn what each system does and how it fits your workflow. You don’t have to buy anything right away, but educate yourself,” she urges. “Lunch and learns, staff meetings, hands-on demonstrations—those are powerful. Be open, be curious.”
Gurenlian encourages hygienists to reframe AI not as a threat, but as a potential ally in delivering better, more personalized care. “We already use AI in our daily lives. Think of our phones, our assistants, our search engines. And if we don’t embrace it in our practices, patients may seek care elsewhere,” she warns. “When I look for a new dentist, I ask, ‘Are you using AI?’ Because I want the best. I want cutting-edge. I want care that reflects the future, not the past.”
Her bottom line for hygienists? Stay open, stay informed, and above all, stay engaged. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t hold back. Be fully invested in understanding how this technology can support your care. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about replacing us. It’s about enhancing what we do best.”
The Human Touch
Margaret Scarlett, DMD, is no stranger to innovation, or to prevention. A former head of a four-year dental hygiene program and a lifelong advocate for oral-systemic health, Dr. Scarlett has spent her career analyzing large health data sets and advancing public health at HHS, the CDC, and beyond. Now, as chief science and technology officer at Personify Group, and CEO of Scarlett Consulting International, she’s focused on helping dental professionals, including hygienists, make sense of AI.
There’s one thing Dr. Scarlett wants hygienists to remember about AI: “Humans need to stay in charge.”
Dr. Scarlett is clear that most of what’s being used in dental practices today isn’t artificial intelligence (AI) in the sci-fi sense, but rather augmented intelligence (AuI)—technology that supports, but does not replace, human clinical decision-making. “It’s really important to make the distinction,” she explains. “Artificial intelligence refers to intelligence by machines. Augmented intelligence is AI where humans are still involved in the decision process.” Most clinical applications in dentistry today, she emphasizes, fall into the latter category.2-4
One of the most exciting uses of AI in hygiene settings, Dr. Scarlett says, is diagnostic support, particularly for identifying caries, calculus, and bone loss on radiographs. Some systems are trained on very specific tasks, such as detecting calculus. “These tools can actually highlight areas of interest on the image,” Dr. Scarlett says. “They’re not diagnosing, that’s up to the human. But they can point out something a clinician might have missed after a long day, or something subtle, like early enamel caries.”
Dr. Scarlett stresses the importance of understanding what’s called a use case, the specific clinical problem the AI is designed to address. “AI isn’t magic,” she says. “It’s trained on data. A program trained to detect bone loss may not be able to detect calculus unless it’s specifically trained to do so.” When reviewing AI products, hygienists should ask: What is this system trained to do? Is it FDA cleared for that specific use case?”
Dr. Scarlett encourages clinicians to ask manufacturers for transparency about their performance metrics. “If it’s right 80% of the time, that means it’s wrong 20% of the time,” she says. “That’s why we say humans need to stay in charge. These tools are getting better, but they’re not infallible.”
Understanding terms like training dataset (the collection of labeled examples used to teach the AI system) and validation dataset (unseen examples used to test the AI’s performance) helps clinicians evaluate a system’s real-world reliability, Dr. Scarlett emphasizes. She notes that external validation—performance testing outside the company’s internal data—is still lacking. “We’re still a bit in the Wild West,” she says. “There’s no universal yardstick yet.”
That said, she’s hopeful about ongoing work to establish objective standards. She recommends clinicians ask vendors whether their products conform to ISO/IEC 42001:2023, a new global standard that promotes transparency and responsible AI governance.5
In addition to radiographic tools, Dr. Scarlett is enthusiastic about the use of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude for communication, patient education, and administrative support.
“Let’s say you have a patient who speaks Portuguese. You can use an LLM to translate aftercare instructions instantly,” she says. “And if an insurance company denies a claim, Claude can help you draft a letter in 45 seconds that sounds better than anything I could write.”
Dr. Scarlett’s takeaway for hygienists? Don’t be afraid. Get curious. “Try it out,” she says. “AI can make prevention specialists even better at what they do. But always ask: What’s the use case? What was it trained to detect? And how often is it right?”
She adds, with a grin: “If a hygienist asks those questions, they’re going to come off looking super smart. And probably teach the dentist something, too.”
The Potential of AI in Dental Hygiene
As AI tools become more visible in clinical settings, hygienists are beginning to see both the potential and the limitations of these technologies.
Nandita Kapadia, MPH, RDHAP, is the clinical pilots manager at CareQuest Innovation Partners, a mission-driven company that works to improve oral and overall health by accelerating innovation. Through initiatives like its SMILE Health program, the organization collaborates with startups focused on equity-centered solutions, several of which are already exploring how AI can enhance the work of dental hygienists.
Kapadia sees AI’s potential unfolding across four key areas of practice: early disease detection, patient education, clinical decision support, and workflow efficiency. In particular, she notes that AI can act as an “objective third party” to help hygienists identify hard-to-see indicators of oral disease. For instance, tools like OraLiva, a SMILE Health program alum, use AI-assisted diagnostics to support early screening for conditions such as oral cancer.
AI is also becoming an asset in patient communication, helping hygienists visualize and explain conditions like decay or periodontal disease in more accessible ways. Kapadia points to Times Health, another startup supported by CareQuest Innovation Partners, which offers an AI-powered virtual health assistant that provides 24/7 guidance and education for patients. “Increased oral health education can also help motivate patients to change behaviors that may be contributing to their health issues,” she adds.
On the clinical side, Kapadia describes AI as a companion, not a replacement, for hygienists, one that supports the analysis of radiographs and enhances diagnostic accuracy. These tools can boost confidence when discussing findings with both patients and dentists. Just as importantly, automating time-consuming administrative tasks can give hygienists more time to focus on the patient relationship, she says.
While there’s growing interest in these tools, Kapadia acknowledges that reactions are mixed. “There’s a mix of enthusiasm and caution,” she explains. Much of the apprehension stems from uncertainty, though she believes hygienists are well positioned to lead during this transition. “Hygienists have been at the forefront of driving these changes in practice,” she notes, and are already showing adaptability and leadership as AI tools emerge.
Concerns about AI replacing hygienists, she says, are understandable but misplaced. “In dentistry especially, the role of the hygienist is irreplaceable,” Kapadia says. While certain responsibilities may evolve, core elements of care—like empathy, human judgment, and hands-on interaction—cannot be replicated by machines. Over time, Kapadia anticipates that hygiene education programs will begin incorporating more AI training, helping new clinicians better understand the risks and possibilities.
For those who might feel overwhelmed by AI, Kapadia offers a clear message: “Remember your core role as a hygienist. AI will never be able to replace the empathy, connection to patients, and human touch that hygienists provide.” Staying informed, curious, and engaged with the tools entering clinical practice is the best way forward, she says.
And, importantly, hygienists must have a voice in shaping how AI is implemented. “Their insight will be essential for ensuring AI is adding value to dentistry on a day-to-day basis and that it enhances, rather than disrupts, the patient experience,” Kapadia says.
Whether you’re energized by AI’s potential or wary of its complexity, one message emerges clearly: Dental hygienists are not passive observers in this transition, they are essential participants. From the data to the chairside experience, AI has the capacity to support more accurate diagnoses, streamline administrative burdens, and enhance patient education.
After all, no algorithm can replace the experience, insight, and compassion that dental hygienists bring to the operatory every day.
References
1. Heartland Dental and American Dental Hygienists’ Association. AI in Dentistry: Are Hygienists Ready? https://www.adha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_Heartland-ADHA_2024_Hygienist_Dental_AI_Survey.pdf. Accessed August 14, 2025.
2. Danesh, Arman et al. Advancing dental diagnostics with OpenAI's o1-preview. JADA. 2025:156(7):555-562.
3. American Dental Association. SCDI White Paper No. 1106: Dentistry—Overview of Artificial and Augmented Intelligence Uses in Dentistry. https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/practice/dental-standards/ada_1106_2022.pdf. Published December 30, 2022. Accessed August 14, 2025.
4. American National Standard/American Dental Association. Technical Report No. 1109: Dentistry—Evaluation of Dental Image Analysis Systems Using Augmented/Artificial Intelligence. https://www.ada.org/-/media/Project/ADA%20Organization/ADA/ADA-org/Files/Resources/Practice/Dental%20Standards/ADA_1109_2025. January 2025. Accessed August 14, 2025.
5. International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission. ISO/IEC 42001:2023(en). Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Management system. https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec:42001:ed-1:v1:en. Accessed August 14, 2025.
