The Visibility of Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Practice, Education, and Workforce Signaling
TL;DR
It is suggested that AI and digital technologies are represented unevenly across educational and workforce settings, highlighting an area for further study regarding how technological change is communicated across the profession.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in modern dentistry, influencing education, clinical practice, and workforce development. However, the extent to which AI is publicly represented across dental-related domains remains unclear. The primary objective of this study was to assess how prominently artificial intelligence and related digital technologies were represented in publicly available communications across dentistry-related sectors. AI representation was examined across dental education programs, clinical practice websites, and dental employment postings. An exploratory comparative review design was used to evaluate how AI and related digital technologies were communicated across these three dentistry-related domains. Public visibility of artificial intelligence varied considerably across the educational, clinical, and employment sources reviewed. These findings suggest that AI and digital technologies are represented unevenly across educational and workforce settings, highlighting an area for further study regarding how technological change is communicated across the profession. Further research is needed to determine whether patterns in educational AI visibility correspond with clinical or workforce expectations.