Poliklinik für Zahnerhaltung, Parodontologie und digitale Zahnmedizin
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Dental AI Center

Munich Center for Dental AI

1. Introduction

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed various fields of healthcare, including dentistry. The Munich Center for Dental AI aims to be a pioneering institution in the integration of AI-driven methodologies within dental research, education, and clinical practice. Organized by the Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology at the University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, this initiative will serve as a central hub for interdisciplinary AI activities across the LMU Dental School.

2. Mission and Objectives

The Munich Center for Dental AI is committed to:

  • Research Excellence: Conduct cutting-edge research in AI applications for dental diagnostics, treatment planning, and patient management.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Foster collaboration between AI researchers, dental professionals, bioinformaticians, and computational scientists.
  • Industry Cooperation and Innovation: Establish partnerships with industry to benchmark AI models, facilitate technology transfer, and support spin-offs from research projects for real-world impact.
  • Education and Training: Develop AI-centered educational programs for students, researchers, and clinicians to enhance digital competency in dentistry.
  • Ethics and Policy Development: Contribute to global discussions on AI ethics, regulatory frameworks, and best practices in dental AI applications.

3. Core Research Areas

The Center’s research encompasses several AI-driven domains, including:

  • Deep Learning in Dental Imaging: Development of AI models for automated diagnosis and treatment planning.
  • Explainable AI: Development of AI systems that provide transparent, interpretable outputs to increase clinician trust and facilitate clinical decision-making.
  • Predictive Analytics: AI use to anticipate disease progression and treatment outcomes.
  • Dental Public Health and Epidemiology: Large-scale data analysis using AI to identify trends, risk factors, and optimize community-level oral health interventions.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enhancing clinical documentation and decision support systems in dentistry.
  • Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Dentistry: Investigating the use of AR/VR for dental training, patient education, and pre-surgical planning, including:
  1. Simulated Training Environments: AI-powered VR simulations can provide students with realistic, risk-free practice scenarios to develop their skills.
  2. Enhanced Visualizations: AR applications can overlay digital information onto real objects, helping to understand complex structures and procedures.
  3. Remote Learning and Collaboration: AI-driven AR/VR platforms will enable remote, interactive learning and collaboration among institutions worldwide.
  • Clinical Implementation and Translation: Strategies to integrate AI tools into everyday dental practice, addressing obstacles such as workflow integration, clinician acceptance, regulatory compliance, data privacy, and ensuring robustness and fairness of AI systems in real-world settings.

4. Cross-Sectional Integration and Synergies

The Center operates as a cross-sectional initiative that spans all LMU dental disciplines and beyond. By integrating AI research with clinical practice, basic sciences, and innovative educational methods, the Center creates a dynamic environment for:

  • Collaboration with Global Initiative AI for Health: The Munich Center for Dental AI will host the Topic Group (TG) Oral Health of the WHO-ITU-WIPO Global Initiative AI for Health. TG Oral Health is a key initiative aimed at evaluating AI-driven dental technologies and setting international benchmarks for AI-based diagnostics and treatments in oral health. More information about TG Oral Health can be found here.
  • Unified Data Science Approach: Alignment with LMU-wide data analytics, machine learning, and computational biology initiatives to leverage the latest methodologies and technological advancements developed across the university.
  • Interoperability and Data Integration: Promotion of standardized data formats, ontologies, and protocols enabling seamless integration of AI solutions across clinical and research environments, ensuring cross-platform compatibility and enhancing collaboration within the global dental AI ecosystem.
  • Collaboration with LMU AI Hub, CORE and other Initiatives: Access to cutting-edge computational infrastructure and expertise to foster joint projects addressing broader healthcare challenges.
  • Integration with MEDIC: Active engagement with LMU’s MEDIC initiative to incorporate dental data into comprehensive medical data ecosystems, promote cross-disciplinary research, and enhance the development of AI applications that bridge dental and general medical practice.
  • Enhanced Patient Care: Translating AI advancements into personalized, improved patient outcomes across dental and general medical care.


5. Governance and Membership

  • Open to faculty, researchers, clinicians, and collaborators who contribute to dental AI research across LMU and affiliated institutions.
  • Director: Dr. Antonín Tichý (Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology)
  • Membership tiers:
  1. Core Members: Active contributors with ongoing projects related to dental AI.
  2. Associate Members: Occasional collaborators.
  3. International Affiliates: Guest professors and visiting researchers.


6. Visibility and Funding Strategy

By consolidating AI-related research activities under a single entity, the Center:

  • Enhances the visibility and cohesion of dental AI research within LMU Klinikum and beyond, avoiding fragmentation of efforts and enabling streamlined coordination of projects and resources.
  • Provides a formal affiliation for researchers, which will be acknowledged in all grant proposals, publications, and presentations, clearly indicating expertise in dental AI.
  • Strengthens credibility and competitive advantage for securing large-scale national and international grants, as funding bodies increasingly prioritize interdisciplinary and collaborative research infrastructures.
  • Facilitates the coordination of multi-institutional grant applications, leveraging the diverse expertise and resources of the participating departments and partners.
  • Promotes strategic partnerships with industry, public health agencies, and international consortia to support co-funding and translational initiatives.


7. Summary

By leveraging AI technology, the Munich Center for Dental AI aspires to position itself as a global leader in AI-driven dentistry. Through international collaboration, active participation in initiatives like the WHO-ITU-WIPO Global Initiative AI for Health, and close integration with ongoing AI-related initiatives at LMU and LMU Klinikum, the Center will play a critical role in shaping the future of dental medicine.