Knowledge, perception and attitude of dentists regarding the role of artificial intelligence in the field of pediatric dentistry: An online questionnaire study.

Abstract

Background: Knowledge on the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) as a diagnostic instrument in the domain of pediatric dentistry is imperative, as AI may significantly influence present and future dental practice.

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, perception and attitude of pediatric dentists and postgraduate students in the pediatric specialty with regard to the employment of AI in pediatric dental practice.

Material and methods: An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 375 participants (92 postgraduates, 203 faculty members and 80 private practitioners), who were provided with 19 closeended questions through the Google Forms link sent via email. The questions referred to the knowledge, perception and attitude of the participants, with 17 questions answered using a three-point Likert scale and 2 of them being multiple-choice questions. The responses were analyzed using the χ2, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: A total of 62% of the participants were familiar with the term 'artificial intelligence', and the majority confirmed that AI could be used for the identification of plaque (57%) and supernumerary teeth (52%), the detection of early childhood caries (ECC) (68%) and the ectopic eruption of first permanent molars (67%), the assessment of child psychology (82%), and the estimation of chronological age (67%). Most participants felt that AI training should be incorporated into the postgraduate curriculum (82%) and were willing to introduce AI to clinical practice (87%). The barriers related to the use of AI were high costs (83%), the lack of training after graduation (78%), the lack of technical knowledge (77%), the fear of misdiagnosis (73%), and the lack of awareness (71%).

Conclusions: The present study concluded that although most pedodontists and postgraduate students had knowledge on AI, there were many obstacles connected with the use of AI in the field of pediatric dentistry. Therefore, the basic training of AI should be included in the curriculum of postgraduate studies.