About 40% of dentists stop using new artificial intelligence tools within 90 days of starting, according to a new study from dentalreviewed.com.
Dentalreviewed.com, an equipment and technology evaluation company, surveyed 300 dentists from the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada for its 2026 “AI in Dentistry” report.
Twelve findings from the report:
1. About 32% of dentists use at least one AI tool, while another 38% are actively considering adopting an AI tool.
2. Eighteen percent of dentists reported no interest in AI adoption.
3. Of those actively evaluating AI tools, 70% said they’ll likely adopt within 12 months.
4. The top reasons dentists stopped using AI tools was cost, poor integration with PMS platforms and inaccurate or unreliable results.
5. Group private practices and DSOs have the highest rates of AI use in the field due to these organizations having larger technology budgets, dedicated IT support teams and more standardized workflows.
6. Radiograph analysis platforms are the most widely adopted category of AI tools, followed by treatment planning software.
7. More than 50% of dentists who use AI describe the technology as a helpful second opinion, while 33% said they trust their own judgment more.
8. Two percent of dentists reported trusting AI tools more than their own clinical judgement, and 8% said they trust AI equally.
9. The dental AI market is projected to be valued at $11.3 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 37.9%.
10. North America makes up the largest regional share of AI use, driven by adoption levels, faster regulatory pathways and venture capital investment.
11. Dentists practicing in academic and hospital settings showed higher-than-average familiarity rates due to being exposed to AI tools during training or research. However, this group of practitioners showed more moderate adoption rates for clinical use.
12. About 35% of dentists reported being moderately familiar with dental AI tools, while 8% reported expert-level knowledge and another 8% reported no familiarity at all.
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