63 - Assessing AI in Pediatric Dentistry: Accuracy and Parents’ Perceptions of ChatGPT for Oral Health Guidance

Purpose: This study evaluated ChatGPT’s potential to support dental professionals and parents in promoting oral hygiene, providing anticipatory guidance, and addressing common pediatric dentistry concerns. It aimed to assess ChatGPT’s accuracy in responding to pediatric dentistry questions and to explore parental perceptions of the chatbot’s usefulness.

Methods: In Phase 1, 31 true/false questions were formulated on the basis of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s 2024 Reference Manual. ChatGPT-4o’s responses were compared to the professional standards set by the manual for accuracy. In Phase 2, 27 parents’ perceptions were analyzed using an 11-item Likert scale questionnaire completed before and after using ChatGPT to answer pediatric dentistry questions.

Results: ChatGPT-4o demonstrated 100% accuracy in answering questions in Phase 1. In Phase 2, parents reported significantly improved perceptions of ChatGPT’s usefulness after engaging with it for guidance on pediatric dental care. After using the chatbot, 87% of parents found the information provided to be very clear or clear, compared to 46% prior to usage. Furthermore, 48% of parents had expected ChatGPT to be extremely helpful or very helpful before using it, whereas 77% found it helpful afterward. In addition, 87% of participants would likely recommend ChatGPT for obtaining dental health information after their consultation, compared to 44% beforehand. Finally, post-survey responses indicated that participants were more likely to seek professional dental care after consulting ChatGPT than before (73% vs. 32%).

Conclusions: ChatGPT demonstrates potential to serve as an educational and anticipatory guidance tool in pediatric dentistry. This study also revealed significant increases in parental acceptance and perceived usefulness after engaging with the chatbot. Further research is needed to assess ChatGPT’s broader applications and ensure its responsible integration into clinical and home care settings.