Social media may influence esthetic dental treatment

College-age students may be turning to social media when they decide to do an esthetic dental procedure.

In a cross-sectional study published in Scientific Reports, investigators asked 504 students aged 19 years and older who reported using social media and undergoing esthetic dental treatments to complete a web-based survey.

The investigators found that nearly one-third of the respondents indicated that social media had played a role in their decisions to undergo esthetic dental treatment, particularly social media posts from dental clinics or specialists. They also uncovered a rising trend in social media’s impact on the decision-making process — with social media use contributing to a greater proportion of decisions to receive treatment within the past year compared with two years prior.

The findings highlighted the increasing utility of social media among dental clinics and specialists in order to provide patients with accurate and practical information regarding esthetic dental treatment. The investigators concluded that the use of social media applications by dental professionals may help improve dental health education, inform oral hygiene behaviors and disseminate evidence-based recommendations.

Read more: Scientific Reports

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.