Oral radiologists and orthodontists' attitude regarding the use of artificial intelligence for cephalometric analysis

To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of specialists in orthodontics and oral radiology in relation to artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in cephalometric analysis.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with electronic questionnaires distributed to Brazilian orthodontists and oral radiologists. Demographic and professional data were collected, as well data on general use of AI and cephalometric-related use of AI. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and χ² test and Student's t‑test.

A total of 139 questionnaires were answered. Reported knowledge regarding AI showed a significant association with the questions 1) presence of AI in daily life (P = 0.021), 2) having AI as a topic in lectures during their education (P = 0.010), and 3) willingness to incorporate AI into dentistry (P = 0.002). Oral radiologists were more willing to incorporate AI into clinical practice (P = 0.004), while orthodontists agreed more with the idea of including the AI diagnosis together with the one delivered by the clinician (P = 0.014). Most participants welcomed the use of fully automated software to identify landmarks in cephalometric analysis (78.4%) and believed that human error is greater than AI's during landmark identification (52.5%).

Brazilian orthodontists and oral radiologists acknowledge the use of AI and express positive attitudes and confidence toward its application in cephalometric analysis. Professionals who reported greater knowledge of AI demonstrated more openness to incorporating this technology into their clinical routine.