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Effectiveness of Humanized AI Avatars and Messenger Gender for Dental Postprocedure Instructions: Two Randomized
Dafna Benadof1, Josefa Cabezas2, Daniel Schwartz2
1School of Dentistry, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 237, Santiago, 8370133, Chile, 56 227703157.
JMIR AI
|July 9, 2026
Summary
Humanized AI avatars effectively deliver dental postcare instructions, matching real person efficacy. Avatar design, including gender, influences patient compliance and trust in AI for healthcare communication.
Area of Science:
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Dental Patient Education
Background:
- Traditional post-dental care instructions (leaflets, verbal) have low patient engagement and adherence.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) systems offer a novel approach to enhance patient communication and understanding.
- AI avatars simulating human interaction are an understudied method for improving healthcare communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate AI avatars for communicating post-dental procedure instructions.
- Determine the impact of video characteristics (avatar type, AI disclosure, gender) on patient compliance and comprehension.
Main Methods:
- Two online randomized experiments (n=650 and n=256) were conducted.
- Experiment 1 compared real person, humanized AI, and animated AI avatars with/without AI identity disclosure.
- Experiment 2 assessed avatar gender effects on compliance intention; primary outcomes included likelihood to follow instructions, return to dentist, and comprehension.
Main Results:
- Humanized AI avatars matched real persons in promoting compliance intention; animated avatars decreased it.
- AI identity disclosure did not affect compliance but lowered return-to-dentist likelihood.
- Women showed higher compliance intention with male avatars; comprehension was consistently high across conditions.
Conclusions:
- Humanized AI avatars are effective for delivering post-dental instructions.
- Avatar design (realism, gender) significantly influences patient trust and compliance intention.
- Balancing AI efficacy with ethical considerations in avatar design is crucial for patient acceptance.