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AI in dental education offers benefits but needs clear safeguards, research finds

15 October, 2026

Dental education providers should set clear rules on how students use artificial intelligence (AI) and prepare students and staff to use it safely, according to independent research we commissioned. 

The study found that while AI may support learning, it also poses risks to students’ development of clinical reasoning, professional judgement and safe decision-making. 

In their report Understanding the Role of AI in Dental Education, researchers at Queen Mary University of London reviewed 75 studies and reports, and interviewed dental students, recent graduates, academics and GDC staff. They found that AI tools are being used or piloted throughout the learner journey, from admissions to clinical training and assessment.  

Early studies suggest benefits from personalised study support, case-based learning and rapid feedback, including improvements in learner confidence, motivation and some performance outcomes. Digital simulation lets students rehearse procedures and get immediate feedback without exposing patients to avoidable risk. 

The report also identified risks. Some AI systems can produce answers that seem authoritative but are inaccurate, and excessive reliance on them may reduce critical thinking and problem-solving.  

AI performed least reliably in areas of dentistry that depend on images, such as interpreting radiographs, and the researchers say AI can be used as a supporting tool rather than relied upon alone for diagnosis.

The report recommends that: 

  • education providers set out which uses of AI are acceptable and unacceptable in learning and assessment, and require students to disclose when AI has contributed significantly to their submitted work
  • assessments are designed to reliably test students’ own knowledge and independent clinical reasoning
  • learners and educators receive structured preparation to check AI outputs for accuracy, recognise AI’s limitations, manage uncertainty and stay accountable for decisions 
  • ethical concerns are addressed, and information governance is strengthened in proportion to risk and in line with UK GDPR 
  • equity is treated as a safety and quality issue, as unequal access to AI tools and differences in staff capabilities could widen gaps in attainment and result in inconsistent readiness for practice in relation to the use of AI 
  • evidence is monitored as AI develops, with patients, the public and the wider dental team involved, and a focus on patient safety and UK-based, multi-site evaluation.

We will consider the report’s recommendations, including its proposed framework, as part of our work to set standards for and quality assure dental education in relation to AI, and in aligning our approach with higher education institutions and professional bodies. 

In September we signed a joint statement of intent with the Professional Standards Authority and other health and social care regulators and registers, committing to jointly developing a set of high-level principles to guide how we will regulate the use of AI in the UK.