Greater Los Angeles Dentistry Recognized as a Leader in Ethical AI Training

Through an invited editorial in one of the world’s leading dental journals, Dr. Owais A. Farooqi, Chief of Dental Service at VAGLAHS, places Veterans’ care and safety at the forefront of how AI is integrated into everyday practice.

Elevating VA Dentistry in International Forums

Dr. Owais A. Farooqi serves as Chief of Dental Service at VA Greater Los Angeles and Network Lead Dentist for the VA Desert Pacific Network, one of the largest and most complex dental programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he practices as a periodontist and is actively involved in resident education with the VA. He also holds an adjunct academic appointment at the UCLA School of Dentistry and serves as the President of the American Academy of Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry. His work reflects a focus on Veteran care, clinical education, and thoughtful integration of emerging technologies. 

In March 2026, Dr. Farooqi was invited to write an editorial for the International Dental Journal (IDJ) titled “Who Is Really Deciding? AI and Clinical Judgement in Dentistry.” IDJ is one of the most internationally recognized platforms in dentistry, making this invitation a meaningful recognition of both the topic and the VA’s role in it.

“This editorial reflects our commitment to ensuring that, as artificial intelligence enters clinical dentistry, it is fully vetted before being introduced into patient care,” said Dr. Farooqi. “Care within VA is delivered in an environment where new technologies are not adopted simply because they are available, but are carefully evaluated for safety, reliability, and real-world impact.”

The Big Idea Behind the Editorial

The editorial looks at a simple question that matters to every Veteran sitting in a dental chair: when AI is helping, who is really making the decision? Modern dental AI is usually built into software that helps read x‑rays or other images by highlighting areas of concern, showing probabilities, or generating alerts.

These tools can be very accurate in controlled studies and can help dentists work more efficiently. But as Dr. Farooqi explains, they can also subtly influence where clinicians look first, what they notice, and which explanations feel most likely, especially in busy clinics where providers must make quick decisions under time pressure. This effect, known as “automation bias,” does not mean dentists are giving up responsibility; instead, it reflects normal human behavior when working with tools that appear smart and accurate.

“At VA Greater Los Angeles, we are taking a deliberate, structured approach to understanding how artificial intelligence may ultimately support clinical care,” says Dr. Farooqi. “The important question is not how fast we can plug in AI, but how we use AI in a way that protects careful, accountable clinical judgment, especially in the unusual or complex cases where it matters most for Veterans.”

What This Means for Veterans’ Dental Care

VAGLAHS Dental Service is both a major provider of oral health care to Veterans and the VA’s largest hub for postgraduate dental training, including General Practice Residency (GPR), Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD), and advanced specialty programs. Every day, attending dentists, specialists, and trainees work together in teams to diagnose, treat, and follow Veterans with a wide range of needs, from routine care to highly complex cases. 

Because of this dual mission, serving Veterans today while training the dentists who will care for Veterans tomorrow, VAGLAHS has a special responsibility when it comes to new technologies like AI. The editorial emphasizes that it is not enough to know that an AI tool performs well on average; it must also be independently tested in different settings, with different patient populations and imaging systems, and monitored for how it affects reasoning and decision‑making in real clinics.

Through the Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry Education and Research Collaborative (AIDEC), a formal initiative within the Dental Service that Dr. Farooqi chairs, VAGLAHS  is building that foundation. “With AIDEC, we are actively evaluating AI in education, simulation, and research settings,” he notes. “This work focuses not only on potential efficiencies or diagnostic support, but more importantly on how these tools may influence clinical judgment and decision-making in real-world environments, particularly relevant in VA, where patients often present with complex medical and dental needs.”

For Veterans, that means VAGLAHS is committed to asking the harder questions before and during adoption: Does this tool help the dentist think more clearly or does it nudge them too quickly toward one answer; how does it behave in less typical cases, such as unusual anatomy or poorer image quality; and are dentists being trained to recognize when they should slow down and double‑check what the software suggests.

Growing Clinical Dental Teams that Use AI Thoughtfully

A key idea in the editorial is “AI literacy.” This is not just about knowing how to click through a software program; it is about understanding how AI can shape attention, confidence, and judgment, and knowing when to pause and question what appears on the screen.

“While AI is not yet part of routine clinical care at this time, it is being incorporated into trainee education in a non-clinical manner,” said Dr. Farooqi. “We have offered online educational opportunities for dental residents allowing them to develop [a] foundational understanding in a controlled and thoughtful setting. This approach ensures that any future integration into clinical care is grounded in evidence, aligned with patient safety, and supportive of sound clinical judgment.”

With its large residency and specialty programs, VAGLAHS is uniquely positioned to embed this kind of training into daily practice, so that future dentists who serve Veterans are both comfortable with AI and skilled at managing its influence. 

“By introducing these concepts early in training, through non-clinical educational experiences, and by engaging in broader academic collaboration, we are helping prepare the next generation of dentists to use these tools responsibly and carefully,” says Dr. Farooqi. “This approach ensures that innovation is not rushed into practice but carefully evaluated, so that when these tools are eventually used, they enhance clinical reasoning, support consistency, and ultimately improve outcomes for Veterans.”