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Why Dentscape's AI Technology Could Be the Future of Dentistry
In the United States, there are over 200,000 licensed dentists as of 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association (ADA), but fewer than 40,000 dental technicians. That gap is only growing. Without enough trained technicians, clinics face long wait times for dental restorations, rising costs, and increasing pressure to outsource work overseas. Crowns and bridges can take days or even weeks to produce, and every millimeter matters.
"Everyone knows the dentist, but no one sees the dental technician behind the scenes," said Bill Chou, Co-founder and CEO of Dentscape. "But they are the ones who spend hours shaping every crown by hand. That is changing quickly, and it needs to."
Dentscape, formerly known as Preteeth AI, is a startup from Taiwan focused on solving that problem. The company was founded by a team of four, including Bill Chou as well as Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Sylvie Liu. Their product is a web-based AI tool that helps dentists and labs design crowns, bridges, nightguards, and more. The process is faster and more consistent than traditional methods.
In the past, each crown had to be customized manually, starting from a base template and adjusted in detail to match each patient's mouth. Dentscape’s software shortens that process significantly. According to the team, it can design up to 100 crowns in about 10 minutes.
"You have to consider a lot," said Sylvie Liu. "Teeth have to align. The height and width need to match. And the fit has to be just right. If one small area is off, it can cause big problems for the patient."
Dentscape did not begin with this level of clarity. The team’s first product, Preteeth, was a 2D simulation tool meant to help dentists show patients what cosmetic treatments would look like. It gained nearly 10,000 users and was accepted into accelerators like 500 Globals and AppWorks. But when they started pushing it internationally, it stalled.
The team visited over 100 clinics to pitch the tool. Most responses were polite, but interest was low. That experience forced them to ask a hard question. Were they solving a real problem, or just offering a nice-to-have?
"We realized we were trying to solve the wrong problem," said Sylvie Liu. "Improving communication is good, but it does not fix the deeper issues the industry is dealing with."
Those issues centered on the dental technician shortage. After dozens of interviews, the team decided to pivot. They left behind Preteeth’s 2D model and began building a 3D AI-powered tool focused on actual crown and bridge design.
They also changed their name. Dentscape combines the words dental and landscape, inspired by the mountain-like ridges and valleys found in tooth structures. The rebrand reflected a more serious commitment to tackling workflow problems at the core of modern dentistry.
Choosing New York over Silicon Valley
While most Taiwanese startups aim for the West Coast of the United States, Dentscape launched in New York. The decision was tactical. Many dental clinics are located in dense clusters in East Coast cities, making outreach more direct.
"In New York, we visited a building full of dental offices," said Bill Chou. "We knocked on doors and told them we had AI tools that could help. One clinic owner agreed to test our software right away. That is when we saw people were really interested."
At one point, the team even entered a guarded dental lab through a back entrance and gave a live demo without an appointment. That unscheduled pitch landed them a customer. The experience confirmed that their product had strong market pull.
They also partnered with schools like Harvard to support dental education. Students use Dentscape to upload their practice designs and get immediate feedback. The software acts almost like a virtual professor, helping students improve faster without needing constant review from faculty.
Taiwan and the United States: Different Barriers
In both markets, Dentscape found demand, but the path looked different. "Americans are more open to trying new things, even if there are bugs," said Bill Chou. "In Taiwan, people want products to be 100 percent stable before they will use them."
The structural differences were even more pronounced. The U.S. dental services market was valued at over 192 billion dollars in 2023. Taiwan’s dental equipment and implants market was worth closer to 150 million. The U.S. also has a severe technician shortage. Some clinics send scans to overseas labs in Asia, adding to turnaround times and communication headaches.
"That is risky," said Sylvie Liu. "Even the smallest mistake in the shape or fit of a crown can affect a person’s bite. The mouth is very sensitive."
Dentscape aims to remove those gaps using AI to generate accurate designs instantly. Their system adapts to each patient's needs. Instead of starting from scratch each time, the AI proposes a near-complete design that the technician can adjust as needed.
Last year, Dentscape raised 20 million New Taiwan Dollars in pre-seed funding, about 640,000 U.S. dollars. One of their investors is Kai Huang, co-creator of Guitar Hero. Now the team is preparing to raise 2.5 million U.S. dollars to scale operations, grow their engineering team, and bring on in-house dental technicians for testing and feedback.
As of March, around 20 clinics were using the system. The business model is case-based, allowing flexibility for both small clinics and large labs. The company is hiring AI engineers, 3D modeling talent, and dental technicians.
For the founders, the work goes beyond solving technical challenges. It is deeply personal to each of them. "I like doing things only I can do," said Bill Chou. "That gives me a sense of accomplishment."
Sylvie Liu reflects on how his journey has shaped her. "In medical school, I was always on the receiving end of technology," she said. "Now I am building it. That shift has taught me how to handle failure and keep going."
The team's drive to push through obstacles is what fuels their progress. "As long as you haven't given up trying," Bill Chou added, "it’s not a failure."
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