Two DPS readers share how Pearl's Second Opinion helps them catch more, explain more, and treat more
Dr. Lawrence Brent remembers the first time Second Opinion caught something he may have otherwise missed—and it happened within the first few days of using the AI-powered software. Now, he will only look at images interpreted by Pearl.
"Color contrasting and the ability to see things that are not as clear on grayscale is invaluable," he said. "Pearl is the best ROI I have seen in my 35 years of dentistry—I think it pays for itself almost every day we use it."
Pearl's Second Opinion helps uncover hard-to-see disease on radiographs, highlighting areas of concern that may go unnoticed by the naked eye. Color-coded detections flag incipient and progressed decay, bone loss, and margins for clinical review and patient education.
Keep Patients Engaged
After first hearing about the Second Opinion software from a dentist friend, Amber Metro-Sanchez, BA, RDH, was excited to learn that her own office was adopting the “amazing” software about 6 months ago.
"I really like how Pearl AI helps us, as dental professionals, explain what treatment is needed to patients. The colors and descriptions make everything quite convincing and create a sense of urgency," she said. "I also find that I can provide my patients with better care as calculus is highlighted in x-rays, so I know exactly which area to focus on during treatment."
"Our patients and team love it," Dr. Brent agreed. "It's a great tool for patient education as well as codiscovery of pathology."
Second Opinion's colorful highlights and tooth anatomy mapping make disease impossible for patients to ignore. Caries overlays measure decay depth through enamel and dentin to the pulp in real time, while exportable patient reports keep patients engaged and moving toward "yes" long after they leave the chair.
"I feel like patients don't always believe that they have areas of decay, but when they see the areas highlighted by Pearl AI, it gives them an unbiased opinion and they take it more seriously," Metro-Sanchez continued. "They are ready to get it taken care of ASAP."
Go Beyond Decay
Metro-Sanchez often shows patients exactly where bone loss is occurring and where calculus may be hiding—creating a shared clinical picture that helps the hygienist and dentist align on when periodontal care is needed.
“Pearl makes everything crystal clear with precise measurements—no more guessing games!” she said. “The detailed bone loss measurements are beneficial because the front desk can send them to the patient’s insurance when filing a predetermination for scaling and root planing."
For both Dr. Brent and Metro-Sanchez, Pearl has become less of a tool and more of a standard. "The algorithm is still evolving, but it definitely helps me find issues earlier and treat them more conservatively," Dr. Brent confirmed.
"I honestly couldn't picture doing my job anymore without Pearl AI!" Metro-Sanchez concluded.
