Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Characterization of Oral Mucosal Lesions

Oral mucosal lesions or abnormalities can be broadly classified as benign or malignant. Several of these lesions can resemble each other and currently the most reliable way to determine the exact nature of a mucosal entity is to obtain tissue for histopathologic diagnosis. Often, lesions are incorrectly interpreted resulting in either misdiagnosing a cancerous lesion as benign and allowing it to progress or vice versa, causing unnecessary stress or harm to the patient. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that designs and trains computers to perform complex tasks mimicking human or expert behavior.