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.
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