“You wouldn’t let an untrained assistant handle a procedure. So why hand your patient data to an AI system you haven’t vetted?”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived in dentistry and it’s not just changing how we work—it’s reshaping the entire landscape of patient care, operational efficiency, and practice growth. AI is helping dentists diagnose disease faster, schedule more efficiently, automate routine tasks, and personalize patient experiences. And yet, beneath the excitement and innovation lies a growing and dangerous blind spot: cybersecurity.
As AI tools are embedded deeper into dental operations, they are creating new and often misunderstood vectors for cyberattacks, HIPAA violations, and even patient safety risks. In an industry where data privacy is sacrosanct and regulatory fines are steep, overlooking these threats could be devastating.
Welcome to dentistry’s newest paradox: AI is both the future of your practice and a fast-growing risk to it.
Part I: The AI Boom in Dentistry: What’s Really Happening
AI isn’t one monolithic tool. It’s an ecosystem of intelligent technologies from machine learning to natural language processing to computer vision that’s being deployed across nearly every function in the dental office. The adoption is accelerating.
Clinical Care
AI is already outperforming humans in certain diagnostic tasks. Intraoral and panoramic image analysis software like Pearl, Overjet, and VideaHealth can detect cavities, bone loss, and other pathologies with high accuracy, flagging issues earlier than many providers can detect visually. These tools are being integrated into digital x-ray systems and imaging platforms, giving clinicians real-time insights during consultations.
Patient Engagement
Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI are helping with appointment scheduling, insurance pre-authorizations, treatment follow-ups, and even postoperative instructions. These tools reduce administrative overhead and improve communication especially with Gen Z and millennial patients who expect real-time, digital-first interactions.
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Practice Management
AI modules in PMS platforms can forecast patient no-show rates, optimize daily schedules, identify billing anomalies, and even suggest staff allocation strategies. The goal? Turn practice data into action fast.
Clinical Documentation
Tools like Suki and Abridge (though more common in medicine) are gaining traction in dental contexts, too. These platforms use AI to transcribe clinical encounters, generate SOAP notes, and automate charting, reducing clinician burnout and improving documentation accuracy.
Marketing & Growth
AI is also being used to target patient acquisition efforts, analyze online reviews, predict lifetime patient value, and optimize marketing spend.
In short: AI is now involved in virtually every corner of dental practice operations.
However, every layer of automation adds another potential vulnerability.
Part II: The Hidden Cybersecurity Risks AI Brings to Dental Practices
While AI’s benefits are undeniable, its risks are poorly understood. AI systems don’t just work in a vacuum; they plug into core systems, handle sensitive data, and connect to the internet. That makes them tempting targets for cybercriminals and insiders alike.
Let’s break down the core vulnerabilities.
Massive Data Aggregation = Massive Risk
AI thrives on large datasets—what cybersecurity experts call a “data lake.” That lake often includes:
In short, every bit of personal health information (PHI) we’ve been taught to keep safe.
By centralizing all this data to feed AI systems, dental practices are creating extremely high-value targets for cybercriminals. These “single points of failure” can be exploited through ransomware, data exfiltration, or credential-based attacks.
The average cost of a healthcare data breach in the United States hit $11 million in 2023 and the dental industry is no longer flying under the radar.
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Third-Party AI Vendors Are a Security Wild Card
Most practices don’t build their own AI tools, they license them from SaaS providers. This creates a complex third-party risk landscape:
Many AI startups in the dental space were built by engineers, not compliance professionals. They may not offer proper access controls, disaster recovery plans, or even basic user audit logs.
If your AI vendor is breached and you didn’t sign a business associate agreement (BAA), you could be held responsible for the consequences.
AI-Powered Phishing and Deepfake Attacks
Cybercriminals are leveraging AI, too. They’re using it to create realistic phishing messages, fake voicemails, and even video deepfakes.
These aren’t theoretical, they’re happening across healthcare.
AI-generated attacks are smarter, more targeted, and increasingly automated. Traditional defenses like spam filters and antivirus software aren’t enough. Human intuition is being outgunned by machines.
Shadow AI and Employee Misuse
Perhaps the most overlooked risk: staff using AI tools that aren’t authorized or compliant. Examples include:
Most consumer-facing AI platforms (like OpenAI, Jasper, Copy.ai) explicitly state that they “retain user input” to train their models. This means your PHI might be floating in someone else’s dataset within minutes.
Without clear policies and endpoint monitoring, you can’t control what your team does, and that’s a huge liability.
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AI Model Poisoning and Manipulation
Advanced threat actors have started targeting the models themselves. “Model poisoning” refers to feeding AI systems false or malicious data during training, skewing their outputs in dangerous ways.
In a dental context, poisoned models might:
These attacks are difficult to detect—because the software still “works” on the surface. But the outputs can cause serious clinical or financial harm.
Part III: Regulatory Exposure HIPAA, HITECH, and Beyond
Let’s be clear: AI systems that touch PHI are covered by HIPAA. Period.
Here’s where most practices fall short:
Risk Analysis
HIPAA requires covered entities to conduct regular risk assessments. But most practices haven’t updated these to include AI-specific threats like algorithmic bias, data leakage, or third-party processing.
Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
If your AI vendor touches patient data in any way, they must sign a BAA. Without one, you, not the vendor, are liable for any breach.
Audit Controls
HIPAA requires that systems maintain access logs, change logs, and usage logs. Many AI platforms don’t generate these or don’t give you access to them.
Data Minimization
AI tools must only access the minimum data necessary for their function. Feeding a patient’s full medical history into an AI chatbot to generate a one-sentence summary? That’s likely a violation.
Part IV: Strategic Recommendations—What Dental Practices Can Do Now
The solution isn’t to avoid AI. It’s to adopt it intelligently and securely.
Here’s your roadmap.
Create a Dental AI Cybersecurity Policy
This should outline:
Update Your HIPAA Risk Analysis
Include AI-specific risks, such as:
Vet Your Vendors with Security Checklists
Request documentation such as:
If they can’t produce this, they’re not ready to handle PHI.
Implement Technical Safeguards
Train Your Team—Differently
Modern cybersecurity training must include:
Training should be ongoing—not a once-a-year checkbox.
Monitor Everything
Part V: What’s Coming Next and Why Now Is the Time to Act
AI’s role in dentistry will only deepen. Over the next 5 years, expect:
But also expect:
The practices that invest in AI security now will have a massive strategic advantage later.
Final Thoughts: Build the Future Without Burning the Bridge
The question isn’t whether dental practices should adopt AI. The question is: Can they do it safely, securely, and smartly?
AI is powerful, but without safeguards it becomes dangerous. The good news is that every risk is manageable with the right mix of policy, technology, training, and diligence. The dental practices that understand this balance and those who build with security in mind will not only protect their patients and reputations, they’ll also lead the industry forward.
Because in dentistry, just like in cybersecurity, precision matters.
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Yaron Baitch has more than 25 years of top‐level experience specializing in application and infrastructure security. He has extensive knowledge in the security industry performing assessments for Fortune 500 companies, federal and local government, national retailers, law enforcement, and health insurance providers. Recognized as an industry expert, Yaron is frequently called upon by national publications to discuss security trends. Prior to working with Sunset, he co‐founded and managed three startups and currently advises numerous security companies.
Sunset Technologies
Sunset Technologies is the premier provider of tailored technological solutions and support for the dental sector, specializing in seamless integration and innovative advancements. We understand the critical importance of uptime—ensuring that your practice’s systems are consistently operational, allowing you to deliver uninterrupted patient care and maintain optimal efficiency. Demonstrating a solid commitment to scalability, security, and continuous support, we empower practices to achieve maximum uptime and serve as trusted partners, guiding businesses through the complexities of technology, compliance, security, and operational excellence. Our mission is to propel your success by keeping your practice running smoothly and efficiently, allowing you to stay at the forefront of industry innovation. At the same time, we navigate the challenges and provide robust solutions for your business needs. Sunset Technologies ensures you can Rest Assured, knowing that your uptime is our top priority.