Pearl raises $58 Million to improve Dental Diagnostics using AI

Dentistry is a very important branch of healthcare in society. Perhaps it is the most recurrent in our lives due to having experienced tooth pain on more than one occasion.

Dentists are becoming increasingly skilled in this area. Even when one visits a dental office, they may notice that anesthesia is no longer used simply because it is not necessary, as the practicality and techniques of these professionals have been improving. Of course, not everyone goes there for the same reasons, as there may be various reasons why our oral health is experiencing issues.

Diagnoses are generally made based on an initial examination and may require a series of X-rays or studies that the dentist requests the patient to undergo. However, it is not only about finding the problem but also about preventing future inconveniences.

This is likely analyzed by a group of experts, who collectively make a decision on how to proceed. If a patient requires any type of surgery, that should be determined by the head of the dental team. In my case, I have been to a dental clinic a few times where several professionals attended to me for an open bite issue, although in most cases, the problem was resolved with braces, although orthognathic surgery was also an option.

These situations are very difficult for a patient to handle. Perhaps out of fear or lack of knowledge, many are hesitant to undergo treatment. However, they are likely to agree to simple procedures such as teeth whitening or the aforementioned braces, which do not evoke the same level of fear.

Many times, patients are not entirely satisfied with the professionals and may even distrust the diagnoses they receive. For this reason, seeking a second opinion is an option they consider. However, this involves an additional cost that can be expensive to sustain and sometimes unnecessary.

One thing that has changed in recent times is the approach of many dentists around the world. They are much more willing to invest in technology, such as purchasing AI-driven software that provides an artificial vision in X-rays to accurately determine dental diseases.

The company that offers this possibility is called Pearl and has been authorized by the FDA for the use of AI in precision diagnostics. This technology could provide a second opinion to the patient, who would be much more convinced after the professional's explanation, along with the use of this complementary tool.

Pearl was born thanks to an artificial vision startup called GumGum. Co-founded by Ophiz Tanz in 2017, it provides services to advertising entities and sports franchises. The idea to expand into the field of health came from Tanz having a dentist father, which motivated him to spin off Pearl from GumGum to focus on AI-driven diagnostics.

The way AI works is through training, and in this case having a large amount of dental images on which X-rays can be interpreted to reach a conclusion about what type of disease the patient is addressing. Everything seems to indicate that this is undergoing a standardization process, so it is highly likely that medical offices, clinics, and hospitals will start acquiring this technology in the upcoming years.

In fact, it is estimated that there is a 30% acceptance rate from patients, which says it all. Although they surely take into account that the analysis of professionals will always be crucial in deciding how to proceed with the treatment. In this case, it is understood that AI will be a complementary tool to a dentist's reasoning, focused on providing greater clarity on a dental issue than a traditional X-ray.

It was announced this Wednesday that Pearl has raised $58 million in a Series B funding round led by Left Lane Capital. Participating investors include Smash Capital, Alpha Partners, and established players such as Craft Ventures and Neotribe Ventures.

Regarding the company's growth, it is estimated to have grown at a rate of 458% in 2023, which is truly amazing and indicates that it will continue to grow rapidly and decisively in the coming years. However, it will have to compete with companies of similar characteristics that have also raised funding of up to $53 million in a Series C round, such as Video Health and Overject, valued at $550 million.