Parental Perspectives on ChatGPT as an Oral Health Information Resource

Purpose: Patients increasingly obtain oral health (OH) information online and from artificial intelligence (AI) tools. As ChatGPT gains popularity, its potential for OH education remains unclear. This cross-sectional study evaluates parents’ ChatGPT familiarity/usage and the perceived accuracy/helpfulness of responses to pediatric-specific clinical questions. Methods: Parents completed Qualtrics surveys between August–November 2024 in three clinical settings: a private fee-for-service office, a private primarily Medicaid-serving office, and a university-based Medicaid- serving clinic. Surveys collected sociodemographic and self-reported OH information. Parents also described their experience/familiarity with ChatGPT and rated the accuracy/helpfulness of six ChatGPT responses covering various pediatric dentistry topics (e.g., prevention, treatment, safety). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to account for covariates. Results: 234 of 302 surveys were analyzed (surveys with >75% of questions completed). Caregivers were 81% female, 33% under 35 years, 43% White, 33% Hispanic, and 10% Black. Most were employed full-time (68%) and had education beyond high school (71%). Children were 50% Medicaid-enrolled, 53% male, and primarily 6-to-10 years old (48%). Medicaid was associated with poorer caregiver and child self-reported OH and the child’s likelihood of having a restorative visit (P<.001). Parents of privately insured children had greater ChatGPT experience (P=0.037) but felt less likely to use it for obtaining OH information (P=.018). Over 80% of participants rated ChatGPT responses as “very” or “somewhat” accurate/helpful. Conclusions: Parents have varying experience with ChatGPT, yet parents rated its information as accurate/helpful, regardless of SES. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these findings for pediatric OH education.