BUE

When a patient sits down for a routine dental X-ray, they rarely imagine that a quiet breakthrough might be happening behind the scenes. But at The British University in Egypt, that breakthrough is already here. Through a powerful research partnership with the global cloud-HPC leader Rescale, BUE researchers are redefining how dentists detect infections, lesions, and early-stage abnormalities, making diagnostics faster, more accurate, and more accessible than ever before.

This collaboration brings Egypt and the region into the heart of a global movement: using artificial intelligence and cloud computing to elevate healthcare. But for our researchers, the goal is far more personal. It’s about catching the silent problems, those early changes that often hide in dental X-rays and go unnoticed until they become painful, costly, or irreversible.

Building an AI Model That Really Sees

Dental X-rays are a cornerstone of modern dentistry, yet early lesions, especially root-tip infections, can be incredibly difficult to spot. Recognising this challenge, BUE researchers set out to build an intelligent system capable of detecting what even skilled clinicians may miss, offering a data-driven second opinion that enhances human expertise.

This work culminated in the publication of their research paper, “Automated assessment of periapical health based on the radiographic periapical index using YOLOv8, YOLOv11, and YOLOv12 one-stage object detection algorithms,” in Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio). The project marks a major milestone toward integrating clinical AI in dentistry, developing a tool capable of automatically detecting and classifying apical periodontitis with high precision, directly supporting clinical decision-making.

To achieve this, the team curated and enhanced a diverse and ethically approved dataset of dental X-rays and trained advanced neural networks to recognise subtle abnormalities. Training such models requires immense computational power, and this is where Rescale became a true accelerator. Using Rescale’s cloud-based high-performance computing platform, researchers gained scalable GPU access that dramatically reduced training time and enabled continuous, rapid refinement of their models.

The results were exceptional:

YOLOv11m achieved 88.5% precision

YOLOv12m achieved 89.1% precision

The system not only detected disease but successfully classified its severity according to the standard Periapical Index (PAI), excelling in identifying advanced stages.

The outcome is an AI-powered system that scans dental X-rays and flags abnormalities with remarkable precision. It doesn’t replace clinical judgement, it strengthens it, offering dentists an early-warning layer and giving patients the benefits of earlier diagnosis and improved outcomes.

Research Team: The Minds Behind the Breakthrough

Prof Shehabeldin Saber, Professor & Endodontics Director

Dr Nora Saif, Associate Professor & AI in Radiology Specialist

Dr Ahmed A. Torky, Assistant Professor & AI Engineering Expert

Together, this interdisciplinary team demonstrates the strength of the university’s research ecosystem, and what becomes possible when engineering innovation meets clinical insight.

Looking Ahead: A New Standard for Dental AI in the Region

This breakthrough demonstrates the strength of the university’s research culture and its commitment to advancing healthcare innovation in Egypt and beyond. By combining academic expertise with powerful cloud technology, BUE is helping shape a future where every X-ray tells the full story: one model, one discovery, and one patient at a time.