Tokede delivers opening keynote at Academy of Osseointegration Annual Meeting
Oluwabunmi “Bunmi” Tokede, BDS, MPH, DMSc, delivered the opening keynote, “Why Before How: Person-Centered Care in the Age of AI,” at the Academy of Osseointegration’s 2026 Annual Meeting. Photo courtesy of the Academy of Osseointegration.
Oluwabunmi “Bunmi” Tokede, BDS, MPH, DMSc, associate professor at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, delivered the opening symposium keynote at the Academy of Osseointegration’s 2026 Annual Meeting on March 5 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Tokede’s keynote, “Why Before How: Person-Centered Care in the Age of AI,” launched the symposium’s central theme by urging clinicians to anchor treatment planning in diagnostic clarity and patient priorities as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into clinical dentistry.
“AI can make the ‘how’ faster,” Tokede said. “Our responsibility is to protect the ‘why’ — diagnostic truth and the patient’s goals — before we commit to a plan.”
Tokede described how AI can support person-centered care by improving diagnostic insight and helping clinicians clearly communicate treatment trade-offs with patients. During the presentation, he demonstrated two AI-assisted tools designed to support diagnostic decision-making.
One tool extracts structured clinical information from narrative patient notes, highlighting risk factors, patient constraints, and diagnostic details that might otherwise remain buried in free text. Another visualizes a patient’s risk profile across multiple dimensions, helping clinicians explain treatment considerations and trade-offs in clear, accessible language.
“The point wasn’t to showcase the technology,” Tokede said. “It was to show that AI is most valuable when it helps clinicians see more clearly and communicate more honestly with patients.”
He also emphasized safeguards for responsible adoption, including maintaining clinician oversight to avoid overreliance on automated recommendations. AI, he stressed, is a tool for diagnostic support, not a replacement for clinical judgment.
Tokede closed his presentation with a reminder about the human role in clinical decision-making.
“AI can think without caring,” he said. “Don’t let it teach you to care without thinking.”
In a message to meeting attendees, AO Program Chair Paul Fugazzotto, DDS, described Tokede’s plenary keynote as “unique and amazing.”
Tokede’s primary appointment is in the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, and he is affiliated with the Texas Center for Oral Healthcare Quality and Safety. His research focuses on informatics, artificial intelligence, and the future of dentistry.
The Academy of Osseointegration Annual Meeting is the leading dental implant scientific conference in North America, drawing clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders from around the world.