With over two decades of executive-level growth leadership experience, Ben Plomion is the COO at Pearl, an AI company focused on developing pioneering tools to elevate dental care for billions of patients around the world. Previously, Mr. Plomion was CMO at the Amazon-backed tokenization platform Dibbs, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at the AI-centered advertising company GumGum, and held a variety of leadership roles at GE Capital including head of the company’s global digital media practice. At Pearl, Mr. Plomion leverages his extensive organizational and AI commercialization experience to oversee the company’s cross-departmental operations with a focus on scaling the company’s growth. Mr. Plomion received his MBA from McGill University and is a graduate of GE’s Experienced Commercial Leadership program. Mr. Plomion is also a regular contributor to Forbes and an advisor to Deanna.ai, PebblePost, and #Paid.
Can you tell us about Pearl and its mission?
Pearl is dedicated to elevating dental care through AI with a mission to harness AI-driven insights to enhance decision-making, improve efficiency, and elevate overall patient care. By leveraging the latest innovations in AI and over a decade of expertise in computer vision, we aim to usher in a new wave of dental AI solutions that brighten the future of oral healthcare worldwide.
What challenges in dentistry and practice management is Pearl solving?
The dental industry has historically relied on manual processes and fragmented data systems. Pearl addresses these inefficiencies by using AI to offer real-time patient insights, streamline administrative workflows, and enhance patient experiences. For instance, we can help our customers to accurately diagnose conditions like cavities, tartar, bone loss, root infractions––earlier and more efficiently. We can also identify disease and treatment need across a practice’s entire patient population, allowing clinical teams to understand patient needs before they’re even in the dental chair, streamlining patient recall, scheduling, and daily practice operations, while ensuring that every patient’s needs are met with the possible highest standard of care.
How does Pearl differentiate itself from other AI solutions in the market?
Pearl offers a more integrated solution than other AI technologies, thanks to our partnerships with leading software providers, like Patterson, Carestream, Planet DDS, Planmeca, and many more. By integrating directly into these platforms, dental practitioners can enhance patient care with advanced AI capabilities while maintaining an uninterrupted workflow for maximum efficiency. These partnerships and deep industry expertise ensure that our solutions understand the nuances of diagnostics, imaging analysis, and treatment planning.
What are some key AI advancements that are shaping the future of dental technology?
Most AI systems incorporate a mix of computer vision (which interprets and analyzes digital images), machine learning (data-driven algorithms that enable computers to recognize patterns within the data they process), and predictive analytics (statistical modeling used to identify or anticipate trends and outcomes). When applied to dental imagery, computer vision can scan and annotate X-rays, detecting numerous conditions such as tooth decay, bone loss, previous dental work, and natural anatomical structures. Meanwhile, natural language processing and predictive analytics help us analyze patient histories and medical records to identify trends, predict disease progression, and assist in developing treatment plans. Combined and deployed in dental practice around the world, these technologies significantly enhance dental office operations and patient outcomes.
What are some real-world examples of Pearl’s impact?
Our real-time FDA-cleared dental pathology detection and case presentation AI platform, Second Opinion®, and Practice Intelligence®, which marries radiologic insights with treatment data to provide an array of data-backed clinical insights, are currently impacting operations and clinical care in thousands of practices across the US––and thousands more abroad. These tools impact the clinical and operation experience in dozens of important ways––from chairside radiologic accuracy to administrative efficiency in the front office. Broadly, our technology is propelling the future of dentistry forward, elevating the standard of care, enhancing patient outcomes and improving practice performance.
Pearl recently got an investment from the ADA. Can you tell us what this investment means for the industry and how the capital will further advance the company?
The partnership validates the critical role of AI in modern dentistry and also accelerates our mission to enhance patient care through innovative AI solutions. With the ADA’s support, we are poised to expand the adoption of our AI-powered technologies across dental practices nationwide, which ultimately further integrates AI into clinical workflows to improve diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and overall practice efficiency. Moreover, the ADA’s investment underscores our shared commitment to advancing dental research and education. Together, we’re developing new AI-driven tools and resources that empower dental professionals to deliver superior care, which benefits patients and the broader dental community.
Pearl had a momentous 2024, can you walk us through the key milestones and how that contributed to growth and innovation?
From a product standpoint, we introduced groundbreaking solutions like Precheck™, an AI-powered insurance eligibility and benefits verification tool, and Calibrate, an AI-driven clinical calibration and training platform. These innovations have transformed dental practices by streamlining administrative tasks and enhancing clinical accuracy. We also secured global partnerships with leading dental software providers, extending our AI capabilities to over 150,000 dental professionals across North America, Europe, the UK, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific region. New partnerships include Peak, Software of Excellence, Midwest Dental Equipment & Supply, Ora, Tab32, Archy, Patterson Dental, and Plandent.
Financially, we secured a record-breaking $58 million in Series B funding, marking the largest investment in dental AI to date. The funding was led by Left Lane Capital with participation from Smash Capital, Alpha Partners, Craft Ventures, and Neotribe Ventures.
How do you see AI evolving in the dentistry industry over the next five years?
AI will become an integral part of every dental function, from diagnostic procedures to daily practice operations. We anticipate significant advancements in AI-driven risk assessment, automated compliance monitoring, and more sophisticated patient engagement solutions. As adoption increases, AI will shift from being a competitive advantage to an industry standard, fundamentally transforming how dental care is managed and delivered.
Any final thoughts?
AI is revolutionizing dentistry in ways we’ve only begun to explore. At Pearl, we’re excited to be at the forefront of this transformation, helping the industry embrace smarter, more efficient, and patient-centric operations. The future of dentistry is AI-powered, and we’re here to lead the charge.
