Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o

Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized fields such as economics, law, and healthcare. Large language models, like ChatGPT, have shown significant potential in dentistry, supporting diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and education. However, earlier ver...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Parla Meva Durmazpinar, Ece Ekmekci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:BMC Oral Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05857-y
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850208195970072576
author Parla Meva Durmazpinar
Ece Ekmekci
author_facet Parla Meva Durmazpinar
Ece Ekmekci
author_sort Parla Meva Durmazpinar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized fields such as economics, law, and healthcare. Large language models, like ChatGPT, have shown significant potential in dentistry, supporting diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and education. However, earlier versions of ChatGPT were limited to text-based data. The latest multimodal model, ChatGPT-4o, introduced in 2024, now processes text, images, audio, and video, enabling broader applications in clinical education. This study evaluates ChatGPT-4o’s diagnostic accuracy in endodontic cases, comparing it with dental students’ performance. Materials and methods This study included two groups of dental students: 3rd-year and 5th-year, alongside ChatGPT-4o. Participants answered 15 multiple-choice questions designed using radiographs, clinical photographs, and patient histories. These questions, based on the American Association of Endodontists’ Clinical Guidelines, were administered via Google Forms for students and ChatGPT-4o. Responses were categorized as correct, incorrect, or unanswered. Data were analyzed statistically. Results ChatGPT-4o demonstrated a higher accuracy rate and lower error rate compared to students, with 91.4% correct and 8.2% incorrect responses. Third-year students had a correct response rate of 60.8%, while fifth-year students achieved 79.5%. A statistically significant difference was found between the study groups in terms of correct response rates (p < 0.05), with ChatGPT outperforming both student groups (p < 0.001). Additionally, fifth-year students showed a higher correct response rate compared to third-year students. Conclusion ChatGPT-4o demonstrates significant potential as a diagnostic support tool in dental education, particularly in endodontics. Its high diagnostic accuracy and consistency highlight its value as an innovative ( application in clinical training and decision-making.
format Article
id doaj-art-8b6e36f1dcb440abbef3a847554174ae
institution OA Journals
issn 1472-6831
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Oral Health
spelling doaj-art-8b6e36f1dcb440abbef3a847554174ae2025-08-20T02:10:17ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-03-012511810.1186/s12903-025-05857-yComparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4oParla Meva Durmazpinar0Ece Ekmekci1Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara UniversityDepartment of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara UniversityAbstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized fields such as economics, law, and healthcare. Large language models, like ChatGPT, have shown significant potential in dentistry, supporting diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and education. However, earlier versions of ChatGPT were limited to text-based data. The latest multimodal model, ChatGPT-4o, introduced in 2024, now processes text, images, audio, and video, enabling broader applications in clinical education. This study evaluates ChatGPT-4o’s diagnostic accuracy in endodontic cases, comparing it with dental students’ performance. Materials and methods This study included two groups of dental students: 3rd-year and 5th-year, alongside ChatGPT-4o. Participants answered 15 multiple-choice questions designed using radiographs, clinical photographs, and patient histories. These questions, based on the American Association of Endodontists’ Clinical Guidelines, were administered via Google Forms for students and ChatGPT-4o. Responses were categorized as correct, incorrect, or unanswered. Data were analyzed statistically. Results ChatGPT-4o demonstrated a higher accuracy rate and lower error rate compared to students, with 91.4% correct and 8.2% incorrect responses. Third-year students had a correct response rate of 60.8%, while fifth-year students achieved 79.5%. A statistically significant difference was found between the study groups in terms of correct response rates (p < 0.05), with ChatGPT outperforming both student groups (p < 0.001). Additionally, fifth-year students showed a higher correct response rate compared to third-year students. Conclusion ChatGPT-4o demonstrates significant potential as a diagnostic support tool in dental education, particularly in endodontics. Its high diagnostic accuracy and consistency highlight its value as an innovative ( application in clinical training and decision-making.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05857-yArtificial intelligenceChatGPTDental educationDiagnosisEndodontics
spellingShingle Parla Meva Durmazpinar
Ece Ekmekci
Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
BMC Oral Health
Artificial intelligence
ChatGPT
Dental education
Diagnosis
Endodontics
title Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
title_full Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
title_fullStr Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
title_full_unstemmed Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
title_short Comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases: dental students versus ChatGPT-4o
title_sort comparing diagnostic skills in endodontic cases dental students versus chatgpt 4o
topic Artificial intelligence
ChatGPT
Dental education
Diagnosis
Endodontics
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05857-y
work_keys_str_mv AT parlamevadurmazpinar comparingdiagnosticskillsinendodonticcasesdentalstudentsversuschatgpt4o
AT eceekmekci comparingdiagnosticskillsinendodonticcasesdentalstudentsversuschatgpt4o