Artificial Intelligence in Dental Education: a Scoping Review of Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions

Objectives: This scoping review seeks to recognize the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dental education, focusing on its capacity to customize individual student learning, facilitate adaptive simulations, and support standardized assessments. It aims to explore current literature on AI applications in dental education, emphasizing personalized learning, standardized assessments, and the ethical considerations necessary for effective implementation.
Methods: This scoping review was conducted in alignment with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Comprehensive searches were carried out across multiple databases, including Medline-Ovid, EMBASE, PubMed, and Google Scholar. A double-screening process and a structured data extraction protocol were implemented to ensure methodological rigor. Articles published between 2018 and January 2025 were included, while those not meeting the predefined inclusion criteria were excluded. Of the 116 original articles screened, 54 were eligible for full-text review, and 41 were included in the final analysis.
Results: The findings reveal that generative AI fosters global collaboration, enhances institutional efficiency, and provides real-time feedback, addressing critical gaps in current dental education practices. AI supports personalized learning pathways and improves assessment consistency, offering opportunities for aligning curricula with accreditation standards. However, challenges persist, including ethical considerations, data privacy concerns, and infrastructural limitations, which require urgent attention to ensure equitable and responsible integration of AI tools.
Conclusions: By identifying the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating AI, this review offers actionable insights for incorporating AI technologies into dental curricula. The aim is to enhance learning outcomes, optimize institutional efficiency, and ensure alignment with modern educational standards and requirements.