Perspectives of Indonesian dental practitioners on application of artificial intelligence in dentistry

Abstract

Limited evidence exists about the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Indonesian dental practitioners with regard to artificial intelligence (AI). A cross-sectional survey was performed among 235 licensed dentists throughout Indonesia, assessing their attitudes on the potential benefits and barriers of AI in dentistry, and its perceived influence on their profession. A “positive attitude – knowledge gap” was observed: attitudes towards AI were very positive (79.6% good), with comparatively low levels of basic AI knowledge (54.3% good). Dentists are positive towards the impact of AI on their professional efficiency (86.4%) and accuracy (82.1%), but remain concerned over the potential barriers of its implementation, specifically the ambiguity in legal liability (82.1%), high cost (77.0%), and data security issues (71.9%). The majority of dentists do not believe that AI will replace them (65.5%), but most worry that the use of AI may erode their skills (54.9%). There is strong support for curricular change (83.4%). Overall, Indonesian dentists are amenable to AI but are currently limited by low knowledge and many AI-related barriers. To increase its adoption, future efforts should focus on promoting practitioner education, as well as increasing confidence in legal and regulatory structures.