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Assessment of Dental Students' and Recent Graduates' Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Dentistry

Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming dentistry by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, clinical efficiency and personalized treatment planning. This study evaluates the awareness and perceptions of AI applications among dental students and recent graduates to support AI integration in dental education and practice. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study included third, fourth and fifth-year students, along with dentists who graduated within the past 5 years. A total of 452 participants c…

By the Truvace desk1 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1912· cite & verify
Assessment of Dental Students' and Recent Graduates' Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Dentistry
"22-0008-010 Camp Lejeune" by NavyMedicine is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

In brief

A cross-sectional online survey was given to 452 dental students in years three to five and to dentists who had graduated within the previous five years. It measured their awareness and perceptions of AI applications in dentistry between July and September 2024.

Respondents mostly saw AI as transformative and not as an immediate threat, yet the study found AI barely appears in dental curricula. The authors argue for comprehensive educational programmes. The abstract gives no data on whether any such programme would improve skills or patient care.

Main points

  1. The sample was 452 participants who completed a 26-item online survey on AI awareness.
  2. Respondents were third-, fourth- and fifth-year students plus dentists graduated within five years.
  3. Most participants acknowledged AI's transformative potential but did not see it as an immediate threat.
  4. Fourth-year students disagreed with the statement that AI is a partner, not a competitor.

The problem

Dental curricula include little AI content even though students and recent graduates widely recognize its potential, leaving a gap in preparation for AI use in practice.

The rundown

The study used a cross-sectional design. Participants were evenly spread across academic years, mostly female and aged 20 to 30, and responses were collected through Google Forms.

Analysis used SPSS with reliability analyses and descriptive statistics, and the Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact Test for group comparisons. No significant differences were found between educational levels or genders.

The authors conclude that perceptions are favorable but education has not caught up, and they call for educational programmes to support AI integration in dental practice.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedEuropean Journal of Dental Education2026-10-14

The debate