z Stress Reduction: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can reduce patient anxiety by answering questions and offering guided relaxation before procedures. z Teledentistry: Remote consultations and diagnostics are bridging gaps in underserved communities. z Administrative Efficiency: Automating scheduling, billing, and recordkeeping frees up time for patient care. The bottom line? AI can enhance productivity, cut costs, and deliver a stronger return on investment. Levels of AI Investment Practices can engage with AI at various levels: z Entry Level (Low Cost): Off-the-shelf solutions for imaging, scheduling and teledentistry. z Mid-Level (Customized): Tailored applications for treatment planning or predictive analytics.4 z High-End Research & Development (R&D): Fully custom models for tasks like cancer detection or robotic surgery.5 It’s Not the End, It’s the Beginning Contrary to fear-mongering headlines, AI isn’t here to replace dentists. It’s here to help. In the U.S., some data shows that there’s a shortage of 10,000 dentists.6 AI offers a way to close that gap—empowering professionals, not eliminating them. AI lacks human empathy, moral judgment and manual dexterity. It can support your practice, but it can’t replace the patient connection that only you can provide. The Future: Emotional Intelligence and Smart Implants Looking ahead, dentistry will be shaped by innovations like: z Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI): Systems that read patient emotions through facial expressions, voice or biometrics and respond with calming cues and communication. This emotional awareness can help clinicians respond more effectively, but the genuine human connection remains irreplaceable. AEI helps detect emotion– it does not feel empathy. z AI-Powered Robots: Already assisting with dental implants, some robotic systems can now complete crown procedures in ~15 minutes. z Smart Dental Implants: Equipped with sensors that track tissue health and deliver real-time insights. z Self-Healing Fillings: Materials that detect bacteria and release antimicrobial agents to prevent decay. These aren’t far-fetched concepts; they’re real, emerging innovations that are already beginning to impact patient care. Final Thoughts The AI wave is here, and it’s moving fast. For the dental profession, this is a moment of enormous opportunity. With the right mindset and smart investments, practices can enhance patient care, improve efficiency and stay at the forefront of a data-driven health care future. AI won’t replace dentists—but dentists who embrace AI may very well outpace those who don’t. Created by dentists, and exclusively for members, CDSPI helps you achieve financial well-being with tailored advice, insurance, and investments. Access to CDSPI is a benefit of your membership with your provincial or territorial dental association. This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial or other advice. Any comments, statements or opinions made herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Cumberland Investment Counsel Inc. (CIC) or Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc. (CPWM). Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate, complete and up-to-date when presented, but it is subject to change without notice. This communication may contain forward-looking statements which are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risk and uncertainties, predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements may not be achieved. Forward-looking statements are subject to change without notice. CPWM may engage in trading strategies or hold long or short positions in any of the securities discussed in this communication and may alter such trading strategies or unwind such positions at any time without notice. Cumberland Private Wealth is a registered trade name of Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc. and Cumberland Investment Counsel Inc. which are affiliated entities. 4. T Qlick 5. Itrex Group 6. WEF, Grand View Research 32 | 2025 | Issue 4 Supporting Your Practice
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