Revolutionizing Dentistry: VA’s New Artificial Intelligence Training Series Prepares Providers for the Future

The “Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry” series is now available on both the Talent Management System (TMS) for VA employees and TRAIN for the public. 

The training series, launched in collaboration with VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), SimLEARN, and the Institute for Learning, Education, and Development (ILEAD), is free, on-demand and accredited by the American Dental Association.

This first-of-its-kind educational initiative in the Veterans Health Administration, comes on the heels of the VA’s highly successful International Virtual Symposium on AI in Dentistry, which drew nearly 700 participants globally. Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive: 96% of attendees said they would recommend the training to others, and 92% reported overall satisfaction.

The training series, adapted from the recordings, includes top researchers, academics, innovators, and industry experts from around the world speaking about AI’s impending impact on dentistry and dental education. 

“Their participation underscores the global recognition of the importance of this initiative. I am particularly excited that VA’s SimLEARN, whose focus is on innovative health-care solutions, played a crucial role in the development of this training. This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to superior educational experiences and our ongoing efforts to advance health care delivery for Veterans," said Dr. Elizabeth Nunez, Executive Leadership Adjust Faculty at SimLEARN and Dentist at Office of Dentistry at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida.

The training series covers four essential modules:
1. AI in Clinical Decision Making: Dental Disease and Anatomy
2. AI in Clinical Decision Making: Surgical Planning
3. AI in Remote Patient Monitoring and Clinical Documentation
4. AI in the Business of Dentistry

Each module is free and offers 1.0 hour of continuing education credit. The expected outcome of this training is that participants will gain a broad understanding of AI uses in dental practice.

“AI technology can improve patient care and diagnostic accuracy,” said a participant from the symposium, regarding AI’s many potential benefits.

Additionally, these training programs are not just about the tools; they are also about trust, ethics, and equity. Over 88% of the symposium participants were able to identify at least two potential ethical considerations of AI, demonstrating the program’s emphasis on responsible innovation.

“The VA takes the responsibility of any technology to be used safely and effectively, very seriously, and the first part of that is educating ourselves,” said Dr. Owais Farooqi, a lead organizer for the symposium that was adapted for the training series and Chief of Dentistry at VAGLAHS. 

Veterans stand to benefit directly from these educational initiatives, as dental teams become better equipped to harness AI for enhanced diagnostics, preventive strategies, telehealth and personalized care.

“This is an educational initiative for people to learn how AI can improve the lives of patients,” said Farooqi. “AI has the potential to improve efficiency and productivity, and the test of that will lie in the actual practice, but unless we study and understand this, we are not going to be able to implement it."

To participate in this exciting new training series, please visit https://www.train.org/vha/course/1128639/details or register on TMS for Course ID: 131014991 to get started on module one.