The use of generative AI in oral sciences

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Mon. 15. December 2025

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MUNICH, Germany: As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly established in dentistry, questions have arisen regarding the justification for its integration into certain disciplines. In a recent research article, researchers discuss how generative AI can assist in generating, analysing, summarising and contextualising data in oral health sciences, thereby enhancing research efficiency and saving valuable time for researchers and clinicians. Nonetheless, they argue that the uncritical adoption of AI in dental research—without due consideration of AI ethics—may lead to scientific misconduct in publications, undermining the integrity of both researchers and the journals that publish their work.

Prof. Falk Schwendicke has written extensively on the use of artificial intelligence in dentistry and its implications for research integrity. (Image: Prof. Falk Schwendicke)

Efficiency versus integrity in AI-powered research

In the perspective article, the researchers discuss how generative AI boosts efficiency in dental, oral and craniofacial research by processing vast datasets and improving scientific workflows. They assert that it has the potential to improve documentation, facilitate communication and increase reproducibility, thus shortening the time to discovery.

Despite its benefits, the researchers argue that the integration of generative AI into research “brings significant ethical, societal and scientific challenges”. They point to potential issues such as data bias, overreliance on AI, plagiarism, fraud and AI hallucinations. Additionally, they raise concerns over the emergence of AI-generated fabricated articles from paper mills, which may distort scientific evidence, mislead the scientific community and eventually harm patient care by infiltrating reviews and guidelines.

“We need to have a debate within the research community about what we use AI for. At the moment, my feeling is that we are not only using it to make research better, but also to produce more research. More research does not necessarily mean greater impact on society, so we need to think carefully about what kind of research we facilitate with AI,” lead author Prof. Falk Schwendicke, director and chair of the Department of Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology and Digital Dentistry at Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich in Germany, explained in a phone interview with Dental Tribune International.

Discussing improper use of AI and how it may undermine scientific integrity, Prof. Schwendicke explained that since entire sections of the text are sometimes written by AI, authorship rules should explicitly account for AI-generated contributions and that any AI-written parts of a manuscript must be transparently disclosed. Additionally, he commented that AI may generate false data, which is sometimes difficult to spot. Another important issue is plagiarism and intellectual property violations in dental research, since AI models may reproduce or closely mimic existing published material without proper attribution.

Safeguarding peer review in the age of AI

According to Prof. Schwendicke, generative AI makes peer review increasingly challenging. A reviewer for more than 40 scientific journals, he has served on various dental editorial boards and is currently an associate editor of the Journal of Dental Research. He commented: “We are seeing more and more publications, and all of them are written in a very polished way. In some cases, the style of writing may be great if AI is writing it. That challenges peer review because the sheer quantity is just unbearable for reviewers.”

The researchers highlight four key principles for responsible use of AI in dental research: Clear disclosure of AI tools and methods; thorough verification of AI outputs; ethical oversight, including active monitoring to detect issues such as hallucinations; and ensuring that AI outputs remain explainable and accessible to humans.

“We need to be aware that we will have more falsifications and more research garbage produced by AI.”

To promote ethical AI use, the researchers call for mandatory transparency requirements, technical tools to detect AI use, better training and diversification of peer reviewers and exploration of new peer review models such as preprints and public review. Finally, they highlight a need for a systemic shift in academic incentives away from publishing in low-quality or predatory journals.

“We need to be aware that we will have more falsifications and more research garbage produced by AI. Even if the high-impact journals sift that out, this material will find its way into predatory journals,” he commented. “You can publish anything nowadays—if you really work hard on publishing it, you will find your venue.”

As generative AI develops further, adaptive guidelines will be essential to balance AI’s benefits and risks in oral sciences. The researchers conclude that the scientific community, including researchers, peer reviewers and editors, must actively ensure that AI is used to strengthen, rather than erode, the rigour and credibility of dental and oral research.

The article, titled “Generative AI: Opportunities, risks and responsibilities for oral sciences”, was published online on 15 October 2025 in the Journal of Dental Research.