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LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 26
| Issue : 1 | Page : 14-15 |
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Use of Machine Learning for Oral Pathology- A Technological Advancement
Anish Gupta1, Swati Shrikant Gotmare2
1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, People's Dental Academy, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, D. Y. Patil, School of Dentistry, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| Date of Submission | 19-Sep-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 27-Nov-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 31-Mar-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Anish Gupta
HIG-7, PDA Campus, People's University, Bhopal - 462 037, Madhya Pradesh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_338_21
How to cite this article:
Gupta A, Gotmare SS. Use of Machine Learning for Oral Pathology- A Technological Advancement. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2022;26:14-5 |
How to cite this URL:
Gupta A, Gotmare SS. Use of Machine Learning for Oral Pathology- A Technological Advancement. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol [serial online] 2022 [cited 2023 Mar 20];26:14-5. Available from: https://www.jomfp.in/text.asp?2022/26/1/14/341400 |
Sir/Madam,
 Problem | |  |
COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed the world, and dental education is not left untouched. Dental curriculum in India, which is a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge, also showed a slowdown due to the crisis. There were directives from the government and regulatory bodies to have classes in online mode. This led to a spurt in online teaching platforms, and accordingly, faculty used Zoom, Google Meet and Kahoot. Apart from this, there was an upward increase in the use of massive open online courses. However, there were disturbances in learning experience with these online synchronous methods. An asynchronous method was needed which had to gather interests of the students. We saw a number of mobile applications on Google Play Store and Apple Store. These stores were flooded with materials such as multiple-choice questions, quizzes and books. We saw YouTube channels which focused on teaching through videos which were very similar to lectures through Zoom or Google Meet. According to a study by Samra et al., students were reluctant to use online learning, but they were hopeful if there was improvisation in the future curriculum.[1] Kumar et al. concluded that the probable prospective of e-learning could be innovative or revolutionary because this helps in both theoretical-related and clinical-related advancements, and it is possible only with e-learning in developing countries to meet the quality in education.[2]
| Solution | | |
We have introduced a mobile application titled “Oral Pathology Ready Reckoner” which is published in Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_oralpathreckoner.OralPathologyReadyReckoner&fbclid =IwAR2rGleAQBGZor5F5ll2kv8mYHImJzhfmbzef_CMm1TuZ1qX6l5T2KhI2mA). This application has features such as handmade sketches of oral histopathology lesions along with audio. This feature is available even if the Internet connection is not available, thereby enabling students to learn without any hindrance of net connection. The application further also has a unique feature wherein the student can learn important concepts of a single topic. In such situation with the help of machine learning, the application only picks up certain important points related to that topic. The third feature that it includes is the pdf of all the lesions. We devised this application considering the problems faced by the undergraduate students to cope up with their curriculum. This application was conceptualized, designed and programmed by us and was made in MIT App Inventor. After the app was built, it was published in Google Play Store and was released on April 16, 2021, after complete review.
| Results | | |
The statistics of Google Play Store showed that there were a total of 637 downloads till April 23, 2021, from different parts of the world [Figure 1] and [Figure 2]. The counts have been increasing gradually. India showed maximum number of downloads. Forty-six users rated the app, and the rating was 4.870 out of 5. The reviews were generally positive. Some users suggested that if there could be a real-time feature wherein the practitioner can post their clinical or histopathological pictures for review. Although this feature was never in the gambit, we still feel that the application can be improved if we add this feature. Amid all this, we are still hopeful that this app can change the dynamics of learning in dentistry.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Samra RK, Nirola A, Verma A, Nagpal A, Thakur M. Dental students' perception on the impact of E-learning in continuing dental education during the current pandemic scenario. Indian J Dent Sci 2021;13:61-72.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Kumar PM, Gottumukkala SN, Ramesh KS, Bharath TS, Penmetsa GS, Kumar CN. Effect of e-learning methods on dental education: An observational study. J Educ Health Promot 2020;9:235. |
[Figure 1], [Figure 2]
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