The use of different artificial intelligence-powered chatbots to answer questions related to dental implants

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots based on large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used as sources of health information. In dentistry, patients frequently seek online information regarding dental implant therapy; however, the quality, reliability, and clinical usefulness of AI-generated responses remain uncertain. This study aimed to compare the performance of commonly available AI chatbots in answering dental implant-related questions.

Ninety-nine publicly available dental implant-related questions were identified using online question-generation platforms and categorized into four domains: biological and surgical aspects, prosthetic and material science, clinical outcomes and complications, and patient-centered and economic considerations. Each question was submitted independently to four AI chatbots: ChatGPT-5, Gemini 3 Pro, DeepSeek V3.2, and Microsoft Copilot. Responses were evaluated by two calibrated dental specialists using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), CLEAR reliability assessment tool, usefulness scoring, and readability indices including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Statistical analyses were performed using appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests with a significance level of p < 0.05.

All evaluated chatbots generated responses with very good reliability according to CLEAR scores. Significant differences were observed among AI models in readability, quality, usefulness, and reliability scores (p < 0.001). DeepSeek demonstrated the highest reliability (median CLEAR score = 25) and the highest proportion of excellent-quality responses according to GQS. ChatGPT generated significantly more useful responses compared with other models. DeepSeek and Copilot produced more readable responses, whereas Gemini demonstrated the highest reading difficulty based on FKG and SMOG scores. Response performance was not significantly influenced by the question category.

AI-powered chatbots can provide generally reliable information regarding dental implants and may serve as supportive sources of patient education. However, differences exist between AI models regarding readability, usefulness, and response quality. AI-generated information should complement rather than replace professional dental consultation, and further studies involving patients and clinically validated outcomes are warranted.