Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding the future of artificial intelligence in oral radiology in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Context: Applications of AI in dentistry are interesting, especially in radiology, and can be a boon for novice practitioners. AI can help in the tracing of cephalometric landmarks; in the detection of caries, alveolar bone loss, and periapical pathosis; the auto-segmentation of the inferior alveolar nerve; the analysis of facial growth, and other similar tasks. Methods and Materials: An online survey was prepared using Google Forms and the link was distributed among dentists in Jazan. The questionnaire was divided into 3 sections (knowledge, attitudes, and future). The first part consisted of 4 questions about fundamental knowledge of AI. The second part consisted of 4 questions regarding the dentist’s attitudes towards AI. The final section consisted of 7 questions about the possible future of AI in dental radiology among dentists in Jazan. Statistical analysis used: The data was statistically analysed using PASW Statistics for Windows, version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA). The chi-squared test was used, with a level of significance p<0.05.