Informed Consent in AI-Augmented Dentistry and Dental Research: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Dental diagnostics and treatment planning
• Artificial intelligence in healthcare
• Bioethics and informed consent

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrating into dental practice for diagnostics, treatment planning, documentation, and research.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive synthesis on operationalizing informed consent within AI-augmented dentistry.
• Ethical considerations for patient autonomy and data governance in AI-driven dental care require clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the existing literature on informed consent in AI-assisted dental care and research.
• To identify conceptual and practical gaps in current understanding and implementation.
• To synthesize key domains for ethically robust AI integration in dentistry.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Literature search across major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, ClinicalKey) and Google Scholar.
• Inclusion of English-language sources (2015-2026) addressing informed consent, AI, and dentistry.

Main Results:

• Thirty sources were included from 2624 identified records.
• Key themes include disclosing AI use, clinician accountability, managing uncertainty/bias, and data governance.
• The literature is predominantly conceptual/ethical, with limited empirical data on implementation or patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Informed consent in AI-dentistry must evolve beyond traditional models to explicitly cover AI involvement and oversight.
• The proposed ACCOUNT-AI framework offers a conceptual synthesis for future research and policy.
• Addressing AI-specific consent issues is crucial for ethical and trustworthy AI implementation in dental settings.