Quality of YouTube TM videos on dental implants

BACKGROUND: Patients search YouTube for health-care information. PURPOSE: To examine what YouTube offers patients seeking information on dental implants, and to evaluate the quality of provided information. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search of YouTube for videos containing information on dental implants was performed using the key words “Dental implant” and “Tooth replacement”. Videos were examined by two senior Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents who were trained and calibrated to perform the search. Initial assessment was performed to exclude non- English language videos, duplicate videos, conference lectures, and irrelevant videos. Included videos were analyzed with regard to demographics and content’s usefulness. “Information for patients” available from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, European Association of Osseointegration, and British Society of Restorative Dentistry were used for benchmarking. RESULTS: A total of 117 videos were analyzed. The most commonly discussed topics were related to procedures involved in dental implantology (76.1%, n=89), and to the indications for dental implants (58.1%, n=78). The mean usefulness score of videos was poor (6.02 ±4.7 [range 0-21]), and misleading content was common (30.1% of videos); mainly in topics related to prognosis and maintenance of dental implants. Most videos (83.1%, n=97) failed to mention the source of information presented in the video or where to find more about dental implants. CONCLUSIONS: Information about dental implants on YouTube is limited in quality and quantity. YouTube videos can have a potentially important role in modulating patients’ attitude and treatment decision regarding dental implants. Key words:YouTube, Social Media, Dental Implant, Rehabilitation, Patient information, E-health.