ChatGPT may help dental students retain knowledge and enhance performance, suggests research

 A study aiming to utilize current dental course materials, syllabi, and textbooks to investigate ChatGPT's potential benefits for dental students. was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.

The abstract, “ChatGPT to Help Dental Students Retain Knowledge and Enhance Performance” was presented during the “SCADA: Clinical Science/Public Health Research” Poster Session that took place on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6).

The study, by Ihunna Amugo of Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA, conducted an extensive literature review, analyzing previous studies in different educational contexts to evaluate ChatGPT's efficacy in dental education. Questions aligned with dental course materials and objectives were formulated to ensure ChatGPT's relevance to the specific needs of dental students. The research encompassed various dental courses, including operative dentistry, nutrition, periodontics, oral radiology, and biology of disease.

By applying ChatGPT in these courses, its capabilities were harnessed to generate step-by-step instructions, summaries, and questions to supplement traditional learning methods. Data on students' interactions with ChatGPT were collected and analyzed, assessing usage patterns, engagement levels, and perceived benefits.

The study's results indicated that ChatGPT has the potential to enhance students' understanding and knowledge retention. In addition, ChatGPT can effectively provide instructional support and generate relevant content for dental students.