Validation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Model for Early Childhood Caries Detection in Dental Photographs

: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a widespread and severe oral health problem that potentially affects the general health of children. Visual-tactile examination remains the diagnostic method of choice to diagnose ECC, although visual examination could be automated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the future. The aim of this study was the external validation of a recently published and freely accessible AI-based model for detecting ECC and classifying carious lesions in dental photographs.