Dentists are often the first health professionals to see children with arthritis because the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) that enable chewing, speaking and swallowing are usually the first and sometimes the only joints affected.
Early diagnosis can help prevent pain, swelling, stiffness, reduced range of motion and even permanent structural damage that can lead to growth problems, facial deformities and dysfunction.
Now, a University of Alberta team is working to improve screening for the disease and make that diagnosis quicker and safer by combining hand-held ultrasound and artificial intelligence.
