Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dental Hygiene Students Regarding Artificial Intelligence.

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in health professions education, yet little is known about dental hygiene students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional program-based evaluation was to gather student input on kn...

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Publicado en:Journal of Dental Hygiene Vol. 100; no. 2; pp. 33 - 45
Autores principales: Hurlbutt, Michelle, Turner, April M., Torabi, Jila, Soderling, Fran, Gerger, Debi
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: American Dental Hygienists Association Apr2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Apr2026
      vid: 100
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      pub: American Dental Hygienists Association
      place: Chicago, Illinois
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        atl: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dental Hygiene Students Regarding Artificial Intelligence.
      aug:
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          Hurlbutt, Michelle
          Turner, April M.
          Torabi, Jila
          Soderling, Fran
          Gerger, Debi
        affil: West Coast University, Dental Hygiene Program, Anaheim, CA, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Students, Dental Hygiene Psychosocial Factors
          Education, Dental Hygiene
          Artificial Intelligence
          Integrated Curriculum
          Curriculum Development
          Professional Practice Evaluation
          Student Knowledge Evaluation
          Student Attitudes Evaluation
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Students, Undergraduate
          Descriptive Research
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Comparative Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Questionnaires
          Program Evaluation
          One-Way Analysis of Variance
          Unpaired T-Tests
          Prospective Studies
          Inferential Statistics
          Machine Learning
          Oral Health
          Ethics, Professional
          Judgment
          Decision Making, Clinical
          Factor Analysis
          Models, Educational
          Student Satisfaction
          Clinical Competence
          Patient Centered Care
          Professional-Patient Relations
          Evidence-Based Dental Practice
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in health professions education, yet little is known about dental hygiene students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional program-based evaluation was to gather student input on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI to guide curriculum integration planning. Methods A 38-item questionnaire was administered to 120 dental hygiene students across five different cohorts at a single institution. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze responses, with significance set at p<0.05. Results All students (N=120) completed the survey. mean knowledge score was 64.5% ± 1.39 with the highest mean observed among the most senior students (69% ± 1.3). Knowledge was strongest in machine learning approaches and in understanding AI's nature and limitations, and weakest in clinical application. Nearly 90% agreed that ethical concerns about AI deserve greater attention, while 19% felt comfortable with AI independently evaluating a patient's oral health. In practice, most reported using AI tools for academic learning such as summarizing course material (71%), whereas fewer used AI for creative applications such as image generation (23%). One-way ANOVA comparisons found no significant difference between cohorts in the knowledge domain (p> 0.05). Cohorts differed significantly in their attitudes about using AI responsibly in the clinical setting as well as their use of AI to study for tests and prepare study aids (p<0.05). Conclusion Students exhibited a basic understanding of AI but lacked depth in areas related to regulation and data quality. Attitudes were positive toward responsibility and ethics yet concerns about AI's impact on clinical judgment and patient care were observed. In practice, AI was used primarily for academic learning, less for creative tasks. Findings underscored the need for curricular strategies that ensure all students receive consistent preparation in ethical, practical, and responsible AI use.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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