The Application of Artificial Intelligence in Dental Education

NCT06942130 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2024ZG147
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 192
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Clinical procedural skills training is a cornerstone of preclinical education for dental students. While technological aids such as virtual reality and simulators are increasingly integrated into training, direct instructor guidance remains fundamental to skill development. Artificial intelligence（AI）， as an emerging technology, is now gradually being adopted in medical education. This medical education trial, aimed at evaluating the potential of artificial intelligence in dental education, seeks to address two key questions: 1) Can AI assistance enhance the skill performance of dental students? 2) How can AI be effectively integrated into modern medical education? Researchers will compare the effects of AI and video-based instruction on skill acquisition, assessing differences in skill performance outcomes. Participants will engage in skill acquisition using either AI or video-based instruction over a one-week period.

Conditions

Medical Education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Operational test scores

  Operational testing is a common method used to measure participants' proficiency in skill operation. At the conclusion of the experiment, participants completed a 15-minute operational test in a desktop VR environment. Scores were automatically calculated by the VR system, ensuring objectivity in the results.

  through study completion, an average 1 week

• spatial ability

  Spatial ability, also known as visual-spatial ability (VSA) encompasses critical cognitive functions that enable individuals to understand, interpret, and manipulate spatially related information. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT: R) - served as the measurement tool for analyzing subjects' mental rotation skills. This standardized evaluation contains 30 items that measure how effectively individuals can manipulate imagined three-dimensional figures. Each question includes an example and five choices, with only one being correct. Participants were tasked to rotate the given figure mentally in a similar manner as it was rotated in the example and to select the appropriate choice.

  Baseline

• cognitive load

  Cognitive load refers to the resources required by working memory for a particular task. Eye-tracking technology has gained increasing popularity in investigating learners' visual attention distribution and cognitive load. As one of the key indicators, pupil diameter has been used to measure cognitive load during learning. In this study, we used eye-tracking devices to record the pupil diameter of participants during learning to quantify cognitive load.

  through study completion, an average 1 week

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• learning motivation

  through study completion, an average 1 week

• self-efficacy

  through study completion, an average 1 week

Study Arms (2)

Artificial intelligence-assisted learning group

EXPERIMENTAL

After completing theoretical knowledge learning, students can use artificial intelligence for skills learning. AI provides steps for specific skill operations, points to note, as well as the desired performance and potential consequences of the operations.

Other: Artificial intelligence; Other: Video

Control group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group is provided with detailed videos of specific clinical procedures, recorded by experienced physicians and educators, which demonstrate proper techniques and expected outcomes.

Other: Video

Interventions

Artificial intelligence OTHER

Incorporating artificial intelligence as an aid to video-based skill learning

Artificial intelligence-assisted learning group

Video OTHER

Skill learning solely through videos

Artificial intelligence-assisted learning group; Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• They must have completed courses in endodontics, periodontology, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery; participants should have little to no prior training in the skills related to the experiment; and they must voluntarily agree to participate in the study and sign an informed consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants will be excluded if they meet any of the following criteria: failure in final exams of the four courses (endodontics, periodontology, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery); transfer to another major, suspension, or withdrawal from the current academic year; refusal to join the study or withdrawal midway; failure to meet the calibration standards in the 9-point eye-tracking calibration; use of OpenAI-related software or applications in the control group; or failure to complete the skill test.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University: lead

Study Sites (1)

School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University

Wuhan, Hubei, 430079, China

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Huang S, Wen C, Bai X, Li S, Wang S, Wang X, Yang D. Exploring the Application Capability of ChatGPT as an Instructor in Skills Education for Dental Medical Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2025 May 27;27:e68538. doi: 10.2196/68538.

  PMID: 40424023 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Artificial Intelligence; Videotape Recording

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Algorithms; Mathematical Concepts; Tape Recording; Audiovisual Aids; Educational Technology; Technology; Technology, Industry, and Agriculture; Television

Study Officials

• Yang Dong, PhD

  State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MSM

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2025
• First Posted: April 24, 2025
• Study Start: October 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: November 2, 2024
• Study Completion: November 2, 2024
• Last Updated: April 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Locations

CN (1)