Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40609986›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe2026

Educational Applications of ChatGPT in University-Based Dental Education. A Systematic Review.

Juan Ignacio Aura-Tormos, Maria Llacer-Martinez, Ines Torres-Osca

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Educational Applications of ChatGPT in University-Based Dental Education. A Systematic Review.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Juan Ignacio Aura-TormosDepartment of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-0054-1005
Maria Llacer-MartinezPrivate, Valencia, Spain.
Ines Torres-OscaPrivate, Valencia, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe emergence of ChatGPT has sparked growing interest in its application within university-based dental education. As a conversational large language model (LLM), ChatGPT offers unique opportunities for content explanation, exam simulation and learner support. However, its educational utility, limitations and ethical implications remain underexplored.

objectiveThis systematic review aims to synthesise existing evidence on the pedagogical uses, perceived benefits, limitations and curricular integration of ChatGPT in dental education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. MATERIAL AND

methodsA comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. After screening and applying eligibility criteria, studies which met the eligibility criteria were included for full analysis. Thematic synthesis was performed across six domains: perceptions, educational uses, perceived benefits, risks and limitations, curricular integration and model comparison.

resultsAfter completing the database search, 60 studies were identified. ChatGPT was predominantly perceived as useful, especially in enhancing autonomous learning, exam preparation and understanding clinical concepts. Most studies highlighted GPT-4's superior performance compared to GPT-3.5. Nevertheless, concerns regarding misinformation, overreliance and reduced critical thinking were frequently reported. Integration into curricula remained informal and complementary, with limited structured implementation. Study quality was heterogeneous, and many reports lacked methodological transparency.

conclusionsChatGPT shows promise as a supportive tool in dental education, but its integration requires ethical and pedagogical oversight. Future research should use standardised frameworks to assess its effectiveness and risks.

Indexed as

CommunicationEducation, DentalCurriculumGenerative Artificial IntelligenceHumansUniversitiesartificial intelligenceChatGPTcurriculum integrationdental educationeducational technologygenerative AIGPT‐4

Identifiers

PMID40609986
PMCPMC13090418

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.