Digital Revolution in Healthcare: Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Cleft Lip and Palate Care

The purpose of this study was to identify the sub-areas of Artificial Intelligence that have been most utilized as well as their applications in individuals with cleft lip and palate. The electronic search was conducted using the following keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Deep Learning; Neural Networks, Computer; Data Mining; Data Accuracy; Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate. The databases utilized were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The initial search yielded 756 articles, and after applying the eligibility criteria, 15 scientific studies were selected for the final sample. These articles were published between 2017 and 2024, with a peak in publications in 2023. Among the selected studies, 60% were conducted on the Asian continent. Additionally, 40% applied artificial intelligence for diagnostic and automated detection purposes, while 60% utilized images as a key component of their datasets. Notably, 66.7% of the studies employed exclusively deep learning algorithms. Overall, the vast majority of the studies (93.35%) reported satisfactory performance of the AI tools implemented. It can be concluded that artificial intelligence-particularly through deep learning, and machine learning-has been widely employed in the diagnosis and, to a lesser extent, in the treatment of individuals with cleft lip and palate, with emphasis on the use of imaging exams and good accuracy.