AI in dental radiography is no longer science fiction—it’s here, FDA-cleared, and changing daily practice. In Episode 18 of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, sponsored by Medidenta Digital Solutions, Dr. John Flucke welcomes his longtime friend Mike Buckner, Executive Vice President of Revenue at Pearl. With 13+ years scaling Solutionreach, Dental Intelligence, and Weave, Mike now leads revenue strategy at Pearl—the first company to earn comprehensive FDA clearance for AI-powered radiologic detection.
Key Highlights:
- Mike’s Origin Story: From real estate/franchising to becoming a “dental tech junkie” at Solutionreach; learning clinical lingo in CE courses and realizing efficiency is the only real growth lever in dentistry.
- Pearl’s Second Opinion AI: Detects pathology (caries, periapical radiolucencies, bone loss, incipient lesions) far beyond human vision—up to 65,000 shades of gray vs. the eye’s 40–105. Catches early-stage issues that monitors can’t see and highlights apical radiolucencies before a #8 file can even detect them in cadaver studies.
- Real-World Impact: Mike’s personal story—his wife’s stage-2 breast cancer missed twice by human radiologists—drove home why AI as a “second set of eyes” elevates the standard of care. Patients now expect AI-backed diagnostics.
- Patient Trust & Case Acceptance: Visual overlays (turn enamel/dentin/pulp on/off) make pathology undeniable on the chairside monitor—turning “watch” areas into proactive treatment (especially with products like Cure-it for remineralization).
- Practice Efficiency Gains: Real-time x-ray quality flagging (cone-cuts, overlap, missed apex) while the patient is still in the chair; undiagnosed treatment alerts; instant insurance eligibility—shortening claims from 6 weeks to same-day payment potential.
- The Future: AI merging CBCT, intraoral scans, and facial scans into a constantly updating 3D patient; predictive supply ordering; material recommendations based on wear patterns; no more “I need two days for that report.”
Mike and Dr. Flucke agree: AI in dental radiography isn’t replacing dentists—it’s the ultimate clinical assistant that never gets tired, never rushes, and arms solo practitioners with the same firepower big DSOs have. Practices that embrace it will outpace those that don’t.
Visit pearl.ai to see Second Opinion in action and learn about their new real-time x-ray quality and case-presentation tools.
