Objectives: Vulnerable populations experience substantial challenges accessing dental care, leading to disproportionate oral health burdens. Digital solutions, such as teledentistry and artificial intelligence, offer new opportunities to improve access, quality and effectiveness of the care.Methods: This paper presents a narrative literature review incorporating findings from peer-reviewed journals, systematic reviews, and case studies retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2013–2024). Evidence was also synthesized using the artificial intelligence tool Elicit to include high-quality data on teledentistry, artificial intelligence and hybrid dental care models, focusing on their implementation and effectiveness. Studies were selected to address relevance for underserved populations and digital innovation in dental care delivery.Results: Teledentistry modalities, including e-consults and virtual dental homes, have demonstarte enhanced access and delivery of preventative care. Artificial intelligence tool provide accurate diagnoses, predict treatment needs, and streamline workflows. Hybrid models combining virtual screening with in-person treatment bridge care gaps and enhance continuity and efficiency, particularly for underserved populations.Conclusions: The integration of teledentistry, artificial intelligence and hybrid dental practice models offers a transformative approach to improving oral health care acces and equity. However, success will require investment, support and collaboration to scale these innovations effectively.

Background/Objectives: Digital Smile Design software tools facilitates aesthetic planning and improves communication between clinicians, patients, and dental laboratories. These software tools have been developed to support facial and dental analysis and to assist users in creating an ideal smile integrated with the patient’s appearance. This study aimed to compare the usability of three DSD software tools—Preteeth AI Pro (version 6.0.0), SmileCloud, and Medit Link (version 3.4.3)—using the System Usability Scale. Methods: Twenty-three prosthodontists and prosthodontics residents evaluated each tool following a standardized usage protocol. After completing Digital Smile Designs in each application, participants filled out a 10-item System Usability Scale questionnaire (score 0–100). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and intergroup comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Results: Mean System Usability Scale scores were 74.24 (Preteeth AI Pro), 80.33 (SmileCloud), and 73.15 (Medit Link). SmileCloud obtained the highest score (A−grade, Curved Grading Scale), indicating “good to very good” usability. No statistical significances were found between the three software tools (F = 1.04, p = 0.36). Conclusions: All three Digital Smile Design software tools achieved System Usability Scale scores above the usability benchmark of 68, with SmileCloud demonstrating the most favorable user experience. These findings may assist clinicians in selecting intuitive and efficient Digital Smile Design platforms to optimize aesthetic treatment workflows.

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a digital workflow to incorporate the mucosal projection of the pathways of the greater palatal artery into a static surgical guide used for free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques. Methods: A cone-beam computed tomography file was uploaded and segmented using specific tools from digital design software. The artery pathways were identified and marked on cone-beam computed tomography. A standard tessellation file format was obtained and uploaded into three-dimensional mesh-processing software; this was merged into an intraoral scan file. New files were obtained and uploaded into three-dimensional modeling software. The final model with projections of the artery pathways was generated using specific tools. The digital model was uploaded into guided surgery planning software to design a digital surgical guide that could later be printed with the artery pathways marked on its surface. Results: The static surgical guide to the palatal mucosa could be used during a surgical approach for marking the safe-zone area against the artery pathways. Conclusions: The proposed technique is a viable method for visualization and marking the artery pathway projection on a static surgical guide when performing free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques.

With the rapid evolution of esthetic digital dentistry, patient-centered tools were developed, such as digital smile design, to help improve patient communication and emotional participation. However, a major difference remains between these purely aesthetic simulations and the functional accuracy necessary with computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing restorative workflows. In this paper, we present the conceptual basis for a new, intelligent, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) wax-up design theory called Dental Unified CAD Utility (DUCU). This platform includes advanced artificial intelligence algorithms for tooth morphology, margin detection, intaglio surface generation, and occlusal correspondence, to combine emotional aesthetics with clinical function. Through facilitation of interdisciplinary teamwork and automation of restorative design workflows, Dental Unified CAD Utility sets out to drastically decrease laboratory time, reduce human errors, and boost treatment predictability. We describe implications and barriers to clinical implementation and future research directions necessary for the development and validation of the DUCU as a transformative tool in digital prosthodontics.

Background/Objectives: Loss of the interdental papilla in a single-tooth edentulous site within the esthetic zone is a frequent clinical issue with functional and psychosocial impact. This literature review aimed to appraise and synthesize the published clinical evidence on implant-based strategies for regenerating and preserving the interdental papilla in single-tooth edentulous spaces within the esthetic zone, with emphasis on methodological quality, esthetic outcomes over time, and patient satisfaction. Methods: A structured search was performed across PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, complemented by gray-literature sources including Semantic Scholar, complemented by gray-literature sources, resulting in 498 papers. The studies included adult patients with single-tooth edentulism in the anterior maxilla, reported at least one esthetic parameter, and followed up patients for a minimum of 6 months. Data analysis included study characteristics, surgical and prosthetic techniques, esthetic results, complications, and patient satisfaction. Results: A total of 27 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The short-term studies (36 months), minimal recession was reported after 12 months. Conclusions: Immediate implant placement with provisional restoration, minimally invasive approaches, and connective tissue grafting in thin gingival phenotypes are the strategies most consistently associated with favorable interdental papilla preservation outcomes in the available observational evidence; causal efficacy under controlled conditions remains to be established by adequately powered randomized trials.