Pearl CEO Ophir Tanz discusses how Imagecheck uses AI to improve orthodontic radiographs, reducing retakes, strengthening claims, and supporting treatment planning.
Orthodontists rely on precise radiographs to guide treatment planning, monitor progress, and support insurance claims. But research shows that 5% to 15% of dental X-rays taken in practices are considered non-diagnostic, meaning they can’t be used for accurate diagnosis or claim documentation. For orthodontists, that can translate into treatment delays, additional chair time, frustrated patients, and denied reimbursements.
Pearl, an AI-driven dental technology company, has developed a solution to address this persistent challenge. Its new software, Imagecheck, provides real-time, automated feedback on 2D radiographs at the point of capture. By instantly detecting common imaging errors—such as cone cuts, blurriness, or improper angulation—Imagecheck allows staff to correct mistakes while the patient is still in the chair.
Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in elevating imaging standards across dentistry, ensuring consistency regardless of operator experience and helping practices deliver more reliable, efficient care. For orthodontists, that means fewer retakes, stronger insurance submissions, and treatment plans built on sound diagnostic evidence.
To explore the impact of Imagecheck and the role of AI in orthodontic imaging, Orthodontic Products spoke with Pearl CEO Ophir Tanz.
Orthodontic Products: What gap in dental imaging workflows led Pearl to develop Imagecheck, and how does it address that need?
Ophir Tanz: There has never been a systematic utility for X-ray quality assurance at the point of capture. Between 5–15% of images in dental practices aren’t diagnostic—meaning they’re unusable for diagnosis or insurance claims. They also create compliance risk. Imagecheck closes that gap by providing instant, automated feedback on every 2D X-ray. It flags errors while the patient is still in the chair, so staff can retake immediately. This saves time for everyone. It also reduces the costs associated with missed diagnoses and delayed or denied insurance claims. Importantly, the live feedback also helps clinicians learn from their mistakes, improving capture performance and reducing the necessity of retakes in the first place.
OP: How does real-time quality assurance in radiographs change the way clinical teams approach diagnosis and treatment planning?
Tanz: Imagecheck shifts quality control from a frustrating, after-the-fact problem to an immediate safeguard. Instead of discovering issues later—when the patient is gone or a claim is denied—clinicians can correct errors instantly. That means less wasted time and fewer follow-up appointments. For patients, it’s a better experience too. It also strengthens clinical confidence. When providers know they’re working with diagnostic-quality images, they can build treatment plans on solid evidence, leading to higher case acceptance and more predictable outcomes.
OP: From your perspective, what role does AI play in improving imaging standards across dentistry today?
Tanz: AI is raising the bar for imaging in dentistry. At capture, quality has always depended on the operator’s skill, which can vary with experience, but tools like Imagecheck ensure that every operator—regardless of experience—can take consistent diagnostic x-rays. Post-capture, AI like our Second Opinion platform eliminates the variability in diagnostic performance across clinicians by accurately surfacing pathologies with greater clarity and sensitivity. With Second Opinion 3D, which received FDA clearance a few months ago, AI can now bring that same consistency to CBCT imaging. Together, these capabilities establish a new standard of objectivity and reliability in imaging that scales best practices across every provider, specialty, and care setting.
OP: Orthodontic treatment often relies on precise radiographs—what impact can Imagecheck have on minimizing errors and retakes in this specialty?
Tanz: In orthodontics, small errors in imaging can disrupt planning or delay care. Imagecheck acts as a safeguard, catching issues before they impede the process. Today it supports 2D bitewings and periapicals, with ceph and pano support and 3D quality assurance through our Second Opinion 3D platform on the way. These utilities will give orthodontists a safety net that reduces retakes and follow-ups, streamlines documentation, and keeps treatment timelines on track.
OP: What are the potential business benefits for orthodontists who adopt this technology, particularly regarding workflow efficiency and insurance claims?
Tanz: Imagecheck lightens staff workload, frees up chair time, and enhances the patient experience. It eliminates intake bottlenecks by ensuring doctors have usable images the first time. It strengthens insurance submissions with compliant, high-quality radiographs, which improves claim approval rates and speeds reimbursement. And it shortens the learning curve for new staff while standardizing imaging performance across teams. That combination means more efficiency, faster revenue cycles, and fewer costly delays.
OP: How does Pearl’s investment in AI-driven imaging strengthen the company’s position in the dental technology market and differentiate it from competitors?
Tanz: Pearl has always seen radiologic AI as foundational to dentistry’s digital transformation. With Imagecheck, we’ve extended our impact from post-capture diagnosis into the capture stage itself—covering the entire imaging-to-revenue cycle. Others offer diagnostic overlays, but Pearl is the first to guarantee image quality at capture and link that quality to diagnosis, planning, and claims. We’re also already integrated with nearly every major imaging and PMS platform and cleared in well over 100 countries. No competitor can match that combination of scope, accessibility, and regulatory credibility. And Imagecheck is only one piece of a broader innovation strategy that spans diagnostics, automated charting, claim optimization, patient communication, and more—collectively raising the bar for modern dental technology.
OP: With that regulatory clearance in more than 100 countries, how does that global footprint shape the company’s strategy for innovation?
Tanz: Our mission is to elevate care and impact billions of patient lives, and that requires global reach. Care delivery looks different in the U.S. versus Europe or Latin America, but the goal is universal: better oral health. Pursuing broad regulatory clearance and global partnerships has given us a strategic edge. It lets us rapidly deploy in diverse settings, from solo practices in the UK to DSOs in Norway to dental schools in Chile, while gathering feedback that sharpens our AI’s accuracy and relevance. It’s not without challenges—we have to actively localize user interfaces, reporting, and documentation for language and regional regulatory needs, for example—but it allows us to harness feedback and best practices from a global customer base. That has allowed us to significantly refine our AI’s accuracy, adaptability, and clinical relevance, while ensuring that our technology reflects global best practices and drives dentistry toward truly universal standards of care.
OP: Looking ahead, what is Pearl’s broader vision for how AI will influence the future of dental and orthodontic care?
Tanz: We believe AI is evolving from a useful second set of eyes into the invisible infrastructure supporting the entire patient journey. It will catch errors at capture, deliver instant diagnostic support, streamline documentation, and automate workflows across the practice. It will also help identify disease risk earlier, support training and calibration in high-turnover environments, and ensure every patient receives evidence-based care, no matter where they are. Ultimately, AI will strengthen trust, improve access, and free clinicians to focus on patient outcomes. OP
Photos: Pearl
