Knowledge and prospects for implementing artificial intelligence among Iraqi dental students: A questionnaire-based survey

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry could improve future clinical practice.

Aim: This questionnaire survey was commissioned to evaluate the knowledge and perspective of Iraqi dental students on AI application in dentistry.

Methods: The survey was administered to 310 dental students, 112 males and 198 females, ages 19–24. Eighty students were in the 2nd grade, 70 in the 3rd grade, 80 in the 4th grade, and 80 in the 5th grade. They completed questionnaires, selecting one option from the list of possible answers for each of the 11 survey questions about AI.

Results: A 42.7% of the 310 participants in the study had experience with AI and its software. However, only 35.3% of dental students understood how to incorporate AI into their work. Students in 5th grade were more likely to think that AI has a future in Iraq (p = 0.034), whereas students in 4th grades rejected the idea of using AI in decision-making (p = 0.045) significantly.

Conclusion: Dental students lack a basic grasp of AI; therefore, activating their interest helps them learn about AI and its potential uses. To acquaint dental students with AI and its applications, seminars, lectures, and workshops should coincide with the material they introduce in the curriculum.