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Develop an AI-Powered Digital Platform for Remote Oral Disease Detection and Prediction

Award Number: R01DE035845
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/06/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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Develop an AI-Powered Digital Platform for Remote Oral Disease Detection and Prediction - PROJECT SUMMARY Oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease affect over 3.5 billion people worldwide and remain a persistent public health challenge. Despite $174 billion in annual U.S. dental expenditures, 75% of Americans continue to face barriers to care, and most diagnoses occur at advanced stages. The fundamental problem is not a lack of clinical knowledge, but the absence of scalable technological solutions that extend diagnostic and management capabilities beyond dental clinics into communities with limited provider access. We propose SMARTeeth++, a novel bioengineering system that integrates principles from multiple disciplines, including computer vision, machine learning, biomedical engineering, and clinical dentistry. Our solution combines three technological innovations: (1) a portable imaging platform enabling non-dental personnel to capture diagnostic-quality intraoral images in community settings; (2) AI-powered algorithms for detecting early-stage caries and gingivitis; and (3) predictive modeling tools combining imaging results with contextual patient data to forecast disease progression risks. Our previous efforts have demonstrated the premises of the SMARTeeth++ platform and the potential adoption of the SMARTeeth++ in clinical flow: (1) Clinical Integration: eHygiene study (NIH X01DE030396) demonstrated that non-dental personnel and patients can collect diagnostic-quality intraoral images suitable for remote assessment. SMARTeeth study (NSF2238208) successfully incorporated intraoral imaging into obstetric visits, identifying early-stage dental caries in 71.7% of patients lacking dental access. (2) Image Repository: Curated >100,000 annotated intraoral images with high image quality; (3) AICaries study (NIH R21DE030251): Developed preliminary AI models achieving over 89% sensitivity and 86% specificity for caries detection at the anterior and posterior teeth regions with various caries severities. The SMARTeeth++ project will pursue the following aims: Aim 1: Develop AI algorithms for quantitative detection of prevalent oral diseases (caries and gingivitis) using intraoral images. Aim 2: Develop big-data models for predicting disease progression, integrating AI-detected pathology with contextual patient data. Aim 3: Develop SMARTeeth++ interface across dual platforms: a mobile-based diagnostic system for individual patients and an integrated clinical management System (CMS) platform for allied oral health professionals. The University of Rochester CTSI regulatory team will guide compliance as a Class II medical device following the FDA's AI/ML-based software framework. This transformative approach aligns with NIDCR’s priorities to accelerate the implementation of reliable and reproducible diagnostic tools. This SMARTeeth++ bioengineering approach transforms oral healthcare delivery from a clinic-dependent, treatment-focused model to a prevention-oriented, cost-effective oral healthcare system outside of traditional dental clinics.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $642,037 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER	910 GENESEE ST	ROCHESTER	NY	14611	MONROE	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	1	8/10/2026	NEW	$642,037
														Subtotal = $642,037

Grand Total All Awards = $642,037

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Develop an AI-Powered Digital Platform for Remote Oral Disease Detection and Prediction

Award Number: R01DE035845

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/06/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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