AI In the Chair: ChatGPT In Dental Education-A Cross-Sectional Study of Student Use and Perceptions in New Zealand

To investigate the usage, implications, and perceptions of ChatGPT among dental students and understand how students incorporate ChatGPT into their academic routines, as well as the perceived benefits and concerns.

An electronic survey was distributed to all students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in New Zealand's National Centre for Dentistry. The survey was directly sent to the students' email addresses to ensure comprehensive coverage. The self-administered questionnaire, hosted on Qualtrics, included a series of questions designed to capture demographic information, explore students' backgrounds, and understand their perceptions of ChatGPT.

A total of 148 responses (42% response rate) were recorded. The majority of respondents (85%) reported using ChatGPT, primarily discovering the tool through social media, friends, and word of mouth. The study assessed ChatGPT usage and perceptions among dental students. Significant differences were found in usage frequency (p = 0.04) and curriculum integration opinions (p = 0.02), with upper-year students (BDS4 and BDS5) differing from BDS2. Usage correlated with perceived study improvement (r = 0.34), trust (r = 0.20), and peer recommendations (r = 0.31). Seniority was weakly linked to lower usage (r = -0.27) and less integration support (r = -0.26). Concerns about misinformation were consistent across years (p = 0.10), but seniors detected more inaccuracies (p = 0.04).

ChatGPT is widely used among dental students, primarily for simplifying concepts and summarising information. While ChatGPT could support learning, its limitations necessitate careful guidance to ensure it complements rather than replaces critical thinking and evidence-based education.