A PILOT STUDY ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS IN MEXICO

Abstract

Objective. This study aimed to examine differences in attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) between undergraduate and graduate dental students in Mexico and to assess how these attitudes relate to ethical attitudes in clinical practice. Methods. A comparative, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 35 dental students from a public university in northern Mexico, including 25 graduate students in endodontics and 10 undergraduate students in dentistry. Participants completed two culturally adapted instruments: the Attitudes and Perceptions about the Use of AI in Dentistry Questionnaire and the Ethical Attitude of Dentists Scale (EADS). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Pearson´s correlation analyses were performed. Results. Graduate students showed significantly more favorable attitudes towards AI than undergraduates (p = .049, d = –0.77). Ethical attitude, measured through EADS scores, did not differ significantly by academic level, although graduates scored higher in the domain of Upholding the profession’s position in relationships (p = .023, d = 0.89). A moderate significant correlation emerged between AI attitudes and overall EADS scores within the graduate subgroup (r = .48, p = .015). This correlation was particularly pronounced in domains related to maintaining patient trust and providing information that benefits the patients. Conclusions. Academic level played a central role in shaping perceptions of AI, with graduates showing more positive attitudes despite comparable ethical attitudes across groups. Among graduates, technological openness appears to be more closely integrated with ethical awareness. These findings underscore the need for early, structured AI education combined with ethics-based training to support the responsible integration of AI into dental practice. Keywords: attitudes, artificial intelligence, dental students, postgraduates, ethics.