Enhancing prediction of tooth caries using significant features and multi-model classifier

Background: Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is a common oral health problem that requires early diagnosis and treatment to prevent further complications. It is a chronic disease that causes the gradual breakdown of the tooth’s hard tissues, primarily due to the interaction of bacteria and dietary sugars. Results: While numerous investigations have focused on addressing this issue using image-based datasets, the outcomes have revealed limitations in their effectiveness. In a novel approach, this study focuses on feature-based datasets, coupled with the strategic integration of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Chi-square (chi²) for robust feature engineering. In the proposed model, features are generated using PCA, utilizing a voting classifier ensemble consisting of Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Random Forest (RF), and Extra Trees Classifier (ETC) algorithms. Discussion: Extensive experiments were conducted to compare the proposed approach with the chi² features and machine learning models to evaluate its efficacy for tooth caries detection. The results showed that the proposed voting classifier using PCA features outperformed the other approaches, achieving an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of 97.36%, 96.14%, 96.84%, and 96.65%, respectively. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the utilization of feature-based datasets and PCA-based feature engineering, along with a voting classifier ensemble, significantly improves tooth caries detection accuracy compared to image-based approaches. The achieved high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score emphasize the potential of the proposed model for effective dental caries detection. This study provides new insights into the potential of innovative methodologies to improve dental healthcare by evaluating their effectiveness in addressing prevalent oral health issues.