In Defense healthcare systems, access to dental care is not always immediate. Many Air Force personnel are posted in geographically remote locations where reaching a dental facility can require significant time and travel. In such situations, dental problems are often ignored until they become painful or urgent.
At the Indian Air Force dental center in Jodhpur, Dr. Peter and his team began exploring whether technology could help address this challenge. Their goal was to find a way to identify oral health concerns earlier, especially for personnel stationed far from the dental center.
To support this, the team introduced AI-based oral health screening using scanO.
The idea was simple: enable personnel to perform an initial screening so they could identify potential oral health issues before deciding whether they needed to travel to the dental facility.
According to Dr Peter:
Recognizing this challenge, Dr. Peter’s team began exploring whether AI-assisted screening could act as an early indicator, helping personnel understand when they should seek professional dental care.
The scanO system was installed in the reception area of the Air Force medical complex, where many personnel and their families visit daily for different medical services.
The objective was not to replace clinical diagnosis, but to introduce a quick and accessible screening tool that could raise awareness and encourage early dental consultations.
Patients can take a scan and receive an AI-generated oral health report directly on their phone via WhatsApp, which they can then review with the dentist during consultation.
According to Dr. Peter:
Such deployment could allow personnel in remote areas to screen themselves first and then decide whether they need to travel to the dental center.
Placing the system in the reception area led to an interesting outcome. The presence of a device associated with AI and automated screening immediately attracted attention.
“When people see the machine, they become curious. Words like AI, robot, or self-diagnosis attract interest,” Dr. Peter notes.
Often, one person trying the scan encourages others nearby to try it as well.
“Once one patient scans, others begin asking questions. Soon more people want to try it.”
This organic engagement helps introduce patients to preventive oral health awareness, something that is still evolving in many parts of India.
One outcome that Dr. Peter and his team did not initially anticipate was the increase in patient footfall after the introduction of AI screening.
Government healthcare setups often operate with limited staff but high workload, and the screening system began encouraging more people to seek dental consultations.
“Normally we imagine a typical day with around 10 to 20 patients. But because of scanO, that number sometimes reaches nearly 60.”
For a team already managing significant responsibilities, this sudden rise in consultations can be difficult to handle.
“We are already short staffed and quite overworked. When many people scan and then want consultation, the patient load increases a lot.”
At times, the team has even had to temporarily stop the machine to manage the workflow.
“Sometimes we intentionally switch it off for some time because the number of patients coming after screening becomes too much to manage.”
Interestingly, this challenge also reflects how effectively the system encourages patients to take their oral health more seriously.
Another advantage Dr. Peter observed was the visual nature of AI reports.
Patients receive their reports directly on their phones, which they can review alongside the dentist during consultation.
Rather than relying only on verbal explanations, the report provides a visual reference point that helps patients grasp the situation more clearly.
Dr. Peter emphasizes that AI screening is not meant to replace clinical examination, but rather to act as an awareness and screening tool.
In environments where patients often visit only when symptoms become severe, this kind of early prompt can make a meaningful difference.
Since the installation, the technology has also attracted attention from visiting officers and senior personnel.
This curiosity is gradually introducing the idea of AI-driven dentistry within the armed forces healthcare system.
For Dr. Peter and his team, the real potential lies in expanding such screening systems to remote Air Force stations.
Such an approach could support preventive dental care, better patient triaging, and improved awareness across geographically dispersed military populations.
Introducing new technology into established healthcare systems is rarely straightforward. Dr. Peter recalls that there was initial skepticism when the idea was first introduced.
Today, the system stands as a small but meaningful step toward integrating AI into routine dental workflows, particularly in environments where access to care is not always immediate.
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