RAIL: Region-Aware Instructive Learning for Semi-Supervised Tooth Segmentation in CBCT

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhao, Chuyu, Huang, Hao, Guo, Jiashuo, Shen, Ziyu, Zhou, Zhongwei, Liu, Jie, Yu, Zekuan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Zhao, Chuyu
Huang, Hao
Guo, Jiashuo
Shen, Ziyu
Zhou, Zhongwei
Liu, Jie
Yu, Zekuan
author_facet Zhao, Chuyu
Huang, Hao
Guo, Jiashuo
Shen, Ziyu
Zhou, Zhongwei
Liu, Jie
Yu, Zekuan
contents Semi-supervised learning has become a compelling approach for 3D tooth segmentation from CBCT scans, where labeled data is minimal. However, existing methods still face two persistent challenges: limited corrective supervision in structurally ambiguous or mislabeled regions during supervised training and performance degradation caused by unreliable pseudo-labels on unlabeled data. To address these problems, we propose Region-Aware Instructive Learning (RAIL), a dual-group dual-student, semi-supervised framework. Each group contains two student models guided by a shared teacher network. By alternating training between the two groups, RAIL promotes intergroup knowledge transfer and collaborative region-aware instruction while reducing overfitting to the characteristics of any single model. Specifically, RAIL introduces two instructive mechanisms. Disagreement-Focused Supervision (DFS) Controller improves supervised learning by instructing predictions only within areas where student outputs diverge from both ground truth and the best student, thereby concentrating supervision on structurally ambiguous or mislabeled areas. In the unsupervised phase, Confidence-Aware Learning (CAL) Modulator reinforces agreement in regions with high model certainty while reducing the effect of low-confidence predictions during training. This helps prevent our model from learning unstable patterns and improves the overall reliability of pseudo-labels. Extensive experiments on four CBCT tooth segmentation datasets show that RAIL surpasses state-of-the-art methods under limited annotation. Our code will be available at https://github.com/Tournesol-Saturday/RAIL.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_03538
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle RAIL: Region-Aware Instructive Learning for Semi-Supervised Tooth Segmentation in CBCT
Zhao, Chuyu
Huang, Hao
Guo, Jiashuo
Shen, Ziyu
Zhou, Zhongwei
Liu, Jie
Yu, Zekuan
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Semi-supervised learning has become a compelling approach for 3D tooth segmentation from CBCT scans, where labeled data is minimal. However, existing methods still face two persistent challenges: limited corrective supervision in structurally ambiguous or mislabeled regions during supervised training and performance degradation caused by unreliable pseudo-labels on unlabeled data. To address these problems, we propose Region-Aware Instructive Learning (RAIL), a dual-group dual-student, semi-supervised framework. Each group contains two student models guided by a shared teacher network. By alternating training between the two groups, RAIL promotes intergroup knowledge transfer and collaborative region-aware instruction while reducing overfitting to the characteristics of any single model. Specifically, RAIL introduces two instructive mechanisms. Disagreement-Focused Supervision (DFS) Controller improves supervised learning by instructing predictions only within areas where student outputs diverge from both ground truth and the best student, thereby concentrating supervision on structurally ambiguous or mislabeled areas. In the unsupervised phase, Confidence-Aware Learning (CAL) Modulator reinforces agreement in regions with high model certainty while reducing the effect of low-confidence predictions during training. This helps prevent our model from learning unstable patterns and improves the overall reliability of pseudo-labels. Extensive experiments on four CBCT tooth segmentation datasets show that RAIL surpasses state-of-the-art methods under limited annotation. Our code will be available at https://github.com/Tournesol-Saturday/RAIL.
title RAIL: Region-Aware Instructive Learning for Semi-Supervised Tooth Segmentation in CBCT
topic Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03538