AI-powered tools to improve periodontal diagnosis and treatment decisions
Official title: PREDICT: Advancing Periodontitis Care with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Diagnostics and Clinical Decision Support
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11347210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A dental AI tool helps doctors diagnose periodontitis more accurately and tailor care for adults, using 2D/3D images and health records.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $608,558 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DE035894-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11347210 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults 21+ with varying stages of periodontitis or those at risk, who visit participating dental clinics.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to participating clinics or with non-periodontal dental issues may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project aims to build and test an artificial intelligence system that can read dental images and patient records to better identify periodontitis and assign risk levels. It will use past patient data from a large dental network to train the models, and then validate them in real-world dental clinics. The goal is a Clinical Decision Support tool that clinicians can rely on during routine checkups and treatment planning. If successful, the tool could reduce misdiagnosis and lead to more timely, personalized care for patients with gum disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more accurate diagnoses and more appropriate, timely treatments for periodontitis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous AI studies in dental imaging have shown promise in improving diagnostic accuracy, with ongoing validation in clinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walji, Muhammad — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Walji, Muhammad
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.