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Turkish journal of Dental Hygiene

2022 Volume 2
Creative Commons License

Misconceptions About Dental Topics on Social Media Platforms: Fluoride Toxicity, Teeth Whitening, and Waterjet Use on YouTube and Instagram


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  1. Department of Restorative Dental Medicine and Endodontics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia.
  2. Department of Pharmacy, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia.
  3. Division of Toxicology, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
  4. Department of Pulmonology, Clinical Hospital Centre Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.
  5. Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Clinical Hospital Centre Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.
Abstract

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental misconceptions circulating on SM, focusing on the most popular topics. In addition, the accuracy of the information was assessed and validated through evidence-based dentistry. Two SM platforms, “YouTube and Instagram,” were selected due to their distinct advantages over the others. A range of posts was examined by searching various dentistry-related hashtags. Posts that frequently contained incorrect information were identified, narrowing the selection to three key topics: “fluoride toxicity, bleaching, and water-jet.” Each topic was further explored using multiple hashtags. Misleading posts were identified and ranked based on engagement metrics, such as the number of views and likes, leading to the selection of six posts per topic. The presenter’s profession, post type, and content validity were assessed for each. The analysis showed that fluoride-related posts had a 100% misconception rate, bleaching had 50%, and water-jet had 33.33%. Presenter background appeared to be a contributing factor, as posts by non-professionals were twice as common as those by dental experts, with only 27.3% of non-professionals providing accurate information. Regarding content validity, 61.1% of posts across the three topics contained incorrect data. When considering audience engagement, using a cut-off of 100 likes, 61.1% of the most-liked posts contributed to misinformation. Despite the limited sample size, a high prevalence of misconceptions was observed. This is concerning, as SM significantly influences people’s lifestyles, and many individuals rely on it for health-related information.


How to cite this article
Vancouver
Badrov M, Gavic L, Perisin AS, Zeljezic D, Vladislavic J, Mladinic EP, et al. Misconceptions About Dental Topics on Social Media Platforms: Fluoride Toxicity, Teeth Whitening, and Waterjet Use on YouTube and Instagram. Turk J Dent Hyg. 2022;2:11-7. https://doi.org/10.51847/Ar0T4kNKqP
APA
Badrov, M., Gavic, L., Perisin, A. S., Zeljezic, D., Vladislavic, J., Mladinic, E. P., & Tadin, A. (2022). Misconceptions About Dental Topics on Social Media Platforms: Fluoride Toxicity, Teeth Whitening, and Waterjet Use on YouTube and Instagram. Turkish journal of Dental Hygiene, 2, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.51847/Ar0T4kNKqP

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