Deep learning: A primer for dentists and dental researchers

Despite deep learning's wide adoption in dental artificial intelligence (AI) research, researchers from other dental fields and, more so, dental professionals may find it challenging to understand and interpret deep learning studies, their employed methods, and outcomes. The objective of this primer is to explain the basic concept of deep learning. It will lay out the commonly used terms, and describe different deep learning approaches, their methods, and outcomes. Our research is based on the latest review studies, medical primers, as well as the state-of-the-art research on AI and deep learning, which have been gathered in the current study. In this study, a basic understanding of deep learning models and various approaches to deep learning is presented. An overview of data management strategies for deep learning projects is presented, including data collection, data curation, data annotation, and data preprocessing. Additionally, we provided a step-by-step guide for completing a real-world project. Researchers and clinicians can benefit from this study by gaining insight into deep learning. It can be used to critically appraise existing work or plan new deep learning projects. This study may be useful to dental researchers and professionals who are assessing and appraising deep learning studies within the field of dentistry.