ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS AN EMERGING PARADIGM IN ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY: A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY IN KERALA

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the attitude and perceptions of undergraduate and postgraduate
dental students, and practicing clinicians towards the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the Oral and Maxillofacial
surgery curriculum.
Materials and Methods: To conduct a study on this, the online structured questionnaires administered through Google
Forms were used in the state of Kerala in India during a period of 3 months. The questions of interest were about
participants’ knowledge of artificial intelligence, the perceived benefits and drawbacks of its use in academic or clinical
contexts.
Results: A total of 300 respondents (100 undergraduates, 100 postgraduates, and 100 clinicians) completed the survey.
All groups appeared to have a generally positive outlook on the integration of artificial intelligence. While the clinical
benefits were highlighted, concerns were expressed by postgraduate students regarding the complexity and potential
inaccuracies of artificial intelligence-generated results. Artificial Intelligence was regarded by practitioners as a tool to
improve treatment quality, but it was also perceived to face issues such as a shortage of awareness, high training
requirements, and public acceptance.
Conclusion: Finally, the study shows that artificial intelligence is perceived broadly as beneficial as an adjunct in the
education and practice of dentistry. Insights generated above can be used as a valuable baseline to devise educational
and clinical interventions aiming at humanizing the progression of artificial intelligence in oral healthcare delivery
systems.