The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Oral Dysplasia and Oral Cancer.

Oral epithelial dysplasia carries a variable risk of progression to oral squamous cell carcinoma, and conventional histopathologic grading cannot reliably predict the behavior of an individual lesion. Artificial intelligence offers a means of extracting additional information from data already obtained in routine care, including histologic images, and additional information regarding biomarkers, the tumor immune microenvironment, and genetic or epigenetic profiles. Machine learning and deep learning approaches are being investigated to estimate malignant transformation risk in dysplasia and to predict treatment response, recurrence, and survival in established oral cancer. These tools remain investigational and require external validation, but may support individualized surveillance and treatment decisions.