Seema Dental College in Rishikesh has successfully integrated scanO, an AI powered dental screening application, into their clinical workflow across all departments. The implementation has revolutionized their approach to patient screening, particularly in high volume outreach camps where they serve 600–800 patients per day. By eliminating manual documentation and instrument sterilization during initial screenings, the college has reduced examination time from 20 minutes to just 2 minutes per patient while maintaining diagnostic accuracy and improving patient engagement through visual documentation.
The Challenge:
Seema Dental College faced significant operational challenges in their dental screening processes, particularly during high volume outreach camps:
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Time intensive manual documentation: Traditional paper based screening required recording patient details, dental conditions, and treatment recommendations manually, consuming 20+ minutes per patient
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Sterilization bottlenecks: High patient volumes (600–800 patients per camp) created overwhelming instrument sterilization requirements, limiting throughput
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Resource constraints: With only 8–9 doctors serving hundreds of patients in remote camp locations, the team struggled to provide thorough examinations
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Patient follow up difficulties: Paper based records made it challenging to contact patients for follow up treatment and recall appointments
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Limited patient engagement: Verbal explanations without visual aids resulted in lower patient understanding and treatment acceptance
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Training complexity: Teaching students proper examination and documentation techniques in high pressure camp environments was challenging
The Solution: scanO Implementation
Seema Dental College adopted scanO, an AI powered dental screening application that captures intraoral images and provides instant diagnostic reports via WhatsApp. The implementation was strategically designed to maximize adoption and effectiveness.
Organizational Structure
The college established a dedicated scanO team with clear roles and responsibilities:
• One faculty coordinator per department to oversee implementation and quality control.
• All interns receive mandatory training at the start of their internship, as they are the primary operators in camps.
• Undergraduate students (8 per clinical posting) trained during their department rotations.
• Single shared login credential across all departments for centralized data management.
• Monthly audit meetings where department coordinators review scans, segregate data, and coordinate patient recall efforts.
Workflow Integration
College OPD
- Paper based registration at reception
- scanO screening at chairside in the OMDR department (first clinical contact)
- Physical examination conducted simultaneously for cross verification
- Treatment planning based on combined digital and clinical findings
Outreach Camps
- scanO serves as the primary screening method due to limited manpower
- Team-based workflow: interns capture images, UG students assist with positioning, and faculty supervise and review scans
- End-of-day quality control: faculty review 500–600 daily scans for clarity and completeness
- Physical examinations are conducted only when patients later visit the college for treatment
Results and Impact
Operational Efficiency
- Screening time per patient: Reduced from 20 minutes to 2 minutes
- Time savings: 90 percent reduction in examination time
- Sterilization burden: Eliminated during initial screening
- Documentation accuracy: 100 percent digital capture, eliminating manual transcription errors
- Camp capacity: Successfully screening 600–800 patients per camp with limited staff
Patient Engagement and Treatment Acceptance
- Increased patient curiosity and questions through WhatsApp reports
- Higher treatment acceptance due to visual evidence
- Improved follow up rates with proactive patient contact
- Enhanced pediatric experience through engaging scan process
- Better informed decisions using visual reports
Educational Benefits
- Improved diagnostic skills for early condition detection
- Higher student engagement with digital screening methods
- Effective teaching aid for faculty using labeled images
- Enhanced preventive focus through image documentation
- Easy case reference access via mobile devices
Clinical Excellence
- High diagnostic accuracy with proper imaging protocols
- Image quality directly impacts diagnostic reliability
- Training improves scan quality and consistency
- Cross verification with physical examinations ensures accuracy
- Faculty can edit diagnoses for flexibility
Defining Moment: The Camp That Changed Everything
A pivotal moment occurred during an outreach camp when the team faced an unexpected challenge. They had prepared for approximately 300 patients but were overwhelmed when 450–500 patients arrived. Having brought limited instruments and sterilization equipment, the team faced a crisis.
That day suddenly when we fell short of instruments and the rush was beyond expectation, we thought of scanO. We got reports, the patients got reports, and we got all the data in college in digital form. We thought, “Oh my God, this is a game changer.” – recalls Dr. Deepshikha
This experience demonstrated scanO’s value as more than just a convenience. It became an essential tool that enabled the college to serve significantly larger populations without compromising documentation quality or patient care.
High Usage Departments:
- Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry: Primary adopter due to child friendly digital approach and preventive focus
- Conservative Dentistry: Uses extensively for caries detection and documentation
- Endodontics: Regular screening tool for initial patient assessment
- OMDR and Public Health: Heavily utilized in screening programs and camps
Low Usage Departments:
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Periodontology: Less frequent use as the department focuses primarily on gum health, clinical measurements, and radiographic assessment rather than visual tooth documentation
Implementation Challenges and Solutions
Internet Connectivity
Challenge: The application requires strong internet connectivity, which is problematic in remote camp locations and hilly areas.
Solution: The college expressed strong interest in scanO’s offline capable kiosk system, which can perform screenings without internet and sync data when connectivity is restored.
Initial Faculty Skepticism
Challenge: Senior faculty members were initially resistant to transitioning from traditional manual examination methods.
Solution: Hands on experience with the system’s efficiency and time saving benefits gradually converted skeptics into advocates.
Image Quality Consistency
Challenge: Early implementations produced inconsistent diagnostic accuracy due to blurry or poorly captured images.
Solution: Formal training sessions for all users, with emphasis on proper camera handling and patient positioning, dramatically improved image quality and diagnostic reliability.
Pediatric Patient Challenges
Challenge: Young children’s movements made it difficult to capture clear images.
Solution: Team approach with UG students helping position and calm children, combined with making the process fun and interactive.
Feature Requests and Future Enhancements
Operating Doctor Attribution:
Add a field to record which doctor or intern performed each scan. This would enable:
• Quality control and targeted training for operators producing unclear images
• Patient continuity by assigning follow up cases to the doctor who performed initial screening and follow up calls
• Recognition for doctors who successfully convince patients to return for treatment
Offline Mode Enhancement
Improve functionality in low connectivity environments through the kiosk’s offline capabilities or app based offline mode.
Faculty Perspective on AI in Dentistry
The faculty’s journey with scanO reflects a transformation from initial skepticism to strong advocacy:
Like other people, even I was very negative towards this, and I thought I don’t know if it would do a great job. But once I started using it, I realized with time it gets better. Just that you need to have a very trained team. If you click good pictures, you’ll get a pretty decent diagnosis, everything is fine.
The faculty emphasizes that scanO is particularly valuable for first visits and initial screenings:
“For that first visit, it’s the best thing. It’s like a machine which does a very quick job.”
Looking Forward
Seema Dental College views scanO as an integral part of their long term strategy for:
• Expanding outreach to underserved areas
• Enhancing dental education and student preparedness
• Improving public health outcomes
• Interest in investing in offline capable kiosk for remote areas
Conclusion
Seema Dental College’s implementation of scanO demonstrates how thoughtful integration of AI technology can transform dental education and patient care. By reducing screening time by 90 percent, eliminating sterilization bottlenecks, and enhancing patient engagement through visual documentation, the college has successfully addressed longstanding operational challenges.
The key to their success lies not in the technology itself, but in the systematic approach to implementation: comprehensive training, clear organizational structure, regular quality control, and willingness to adapt workflows. From initial faculty skepticism to enthusiastic adoption, the journey illustrates that even traditional clinical environments can successfully embrace AI when the benefits are tangible and the implementation is well planned.
As the faculty reflects, “I think this is the best thing that you can have” - a sentiment that resonates across departments as scanO becomes an indispensable tool for modern dental education and patient care.
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