Dentists turn to AI, but remain cautious

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 17. August 2026

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CHICAGO, US: As artificial intelligence (AI) is applied to a growing range of clinical and administrative tasks, new data offers a snapshot of how dentists are using the technology—and where they are reluctant. More than two in five US dentists surveyed by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute reported using AI for at least one task in their practice, while one in four said they planned to adopt AI in the future. However, the findings also point to great scepticism regarding AI.

The figures are based on a survey of 552 dentists in private practice included in the institute’s latest update on the US dental economy. The findings suggest that dentists are already using AI for a range of tasks, but future interest lies primarily in its value as an administrative and efficiency tool.

Just over one in five respondents reported using AI for imaging and diagnostics. The next most common applications were insurance verification and helping to explain clinical findings to patients. These were followed by the use of AI for business analytics, social media and front-desk check-in.

The strongest appetite for future adoption appears to be focused on reducing administrative workloads. More than one in three respondents said they planned to use AI for charting and note-taking, while around one in three anticipated using it for insurance-related tasks.

The use of AI to inform treatment decisions, however, remains a clear boundary. Fewer than one in twenty respondents reported using AI for patient treatment recommendations, and more than four in five said they did not use AI for this purpose and did not plan to. The dentists surveyed raised concerns that AI errors could result in misdiagnosis or overtreatment and that dentists could become overly reliant on automated recommendations.

The findings suggest that dentistry may be following a pattern seen in healthcare more broadly: AI is welcomed where it can remove repetitive work, but professional oversight remains central when patient care is at stake. This cautious approach is reflected in a 2025 study of dentists and patients, which found support for AI in areas such as data collection and analysis, but a strong preference for dentists to retain responsibility for final diagnostic decisions.

Previous research covered by Dental Tribune International has likewise found support among patients for AI as an assistive technology, and another study reported generally positive attitudes towards AI among dental professionals and students, but emphasised the need for formal training.

Taken together, the survey findings point towards an emerging model of AI-assisted dentistry rather than AI-led dentistry. Technology is being used to help practices work more efficiently, and dentists retain responsibility for clinical judgement.