DDH builds trust in dental care with AI

Few patients readily accept being told they have four cavities, need a root canal and must have a tooth extracted. Their first response is often skepticism: Can I trust the dentist’s judgment? Is all that treatment really necessary? DDH, a Korean dental artificial intelligence (AI) startup, believes technology can help bridge that trust gap — a challenge the company says extends well beyond Korea. "The industry's biggest pain point, both in Korea and abroad, is patients' distrust of dentists," DDH founder and CEO Her Soo-bok told The Korea Times in an interview, Monday. DDH's solution, called Pano, is designed to make dental diagnoses easier for patients to understand. The process begins with a panoramic X-ray. The company's AI model analyzes the image and uses different colors to highlight areas that may show signs of cavities, gum disease or other conditions. A dentist then reviews the findings and determines whether treatment is necessary. "Such records help build patient trust and prevent potential legal disputes," Her said. He said dentistry accounts for the largest share of house