Parents' awareness, use, and perceptions of ChatGPT for children's oral and dental health information: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly used by the public to obtain health-related information. Parents frequently search for digital sources to learn about their children's oral and dental health; however, limited information exists regarding parents' awareness and use of AI-based platforms for this purpose. This study aimed to explore parents' use of ChatGPT to obtain oral and dental health information for their children and to examine their opinions regarding its use. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was completed with 399 parents of children aged 0-14 who visited a pediatric dental clinic for examination or treatment between July and October 2025. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 33 items divided into three sections. All data were entered into SPSS version 27 and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Among the parents participating in the study, 66.4% were female and 33.6% were male. In terms of AI awareness, 81.2% of parents had heard of the term "AI." Furthermore, 34.1% reported using ChatGPT for healthcare-related purposes, while 9.0% reported using it to obtain information about their children's oral and dental health. A statistically significant relationship was found between demographic characteristics and the use of ChatGPT for children's oral and dental health information, particularly with respect to gender and education level. CONCLUSIONS: AI-supported information platforms such as ChatGPT appear to have considerable potential in the field of health information. However, increased awareness and greater confidence in the use of such technologies are needed for obtaining reliable information about children's oral and dental health.