Critical and Structured Analysis of AI Development in Dentistry

Introduction: the integration of artificial intelligence in dentistry dates to the late twentieth century, within a context shaped by the increasing computerization of healthcare systems. Early developments focused on reproducing expert reasoning through rule-based systems, particularly in areas where clinical decisions could be formalized. Method: a qualitative, analytical-interpretive study was conducted based on scientific literature published between the late 1980s and late 1990s, complemented by a corpus and Web of Science searches up to 2000. Historical, historiographic, and ethnographic analyses were performed, along with a bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer. Results: three phases were identified: institutional experimentation, specialized system development, and clinical validation. A conceptual shift was observed from system construction to performance evaluation, using metrics such as accuracy and agreement. The bibliometric analysis revealed a transition from "systems" and "rules" to concepts related to validation and clinical performance. Gaps were identified in areas such as periodontics and preventive dentistry, alongside a limited representation of the patient within the scientific discourse. Conclusions: the early development of AI in dentistry was characterized by its consolidation as a support tool aimed at reproducing and validating expert knowledge. This process prioritized technical measurement and standardization, while ethical and patient-centered dimensions remained marginal.