The availability and characteristics of patient-focused YouTube videos related to oral hygiene instruction. 2020

Robert S D Smyth, and Maya Amlani, and Andrew Fulton, and Mohammad Owaise Sharif
Orthodontic Department, Eastman Dental Hospital, 47-49 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DG, UK.

Introduction YouTube is a popular social media platform that is being increasingly used for the distribution of healthcare-related information. To date, there appear to be no published studies assessing the quality of oral hygiene instruction provided by YouTube videos.Objective To assess the availability, quality and accuracy of patient-focused YouTube videos aiming to provide oral hygiene instruction.Method YouTube videos meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated for quality and information accuracy using an eight-item, evidence-based checklist relating to important aspects in the prevention of caries and periodontal disease.Results Fifty-two relevant videos were included; 20 videos (38.5%) were produced by lay people (social media influencers and bloggers) who had no professional qualifications. None of the included videos contained accurate information relating to all eight items of the evidence-based checklist. Seven videos contained none of the information from the checklist. Numerous videos contained health advice which was not scientifically sound.Conclusion The results of this study highlight that currently available YouTube videos may not contain evidence-based information relating to oral hygiene instruction. There are also concerns regarding the lack of regulation and quality assurance processes in the development of healthcare-related YouTube videos. Currently, clinicians should be cautious when advising patients to utilise YouTube as a source of information regarding oral health.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009910 Oral Hygiene The practice of personal hygiene of the mouth. It includes the maintenance of oral cleanliness, tissue tone, and general preservation of oral health. Dental Hygiene,Hygiene, Dental,Hygiene, Oral
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014741 Video Recording The storing or preserving of video signals to be played back later via a transmitter or receiver. Audiovisual Recording,Videorecording,Audiovisual Recordings,Recording, Audiovisual,Recording, Video,Recordings, Audiovisual,Recordings, Video,Video Recordings,Videorecordings
D014743 Videotape Recording Recording of visual and sometimes sound signals on magnetic tape. Tape Recording, Video,Videotapes,Recording, Video Tape,Recording, Videotape,Recordings, Video Tape,Recordings, Videotape,Tape Recordings, Video,Video Tape Recording,Video Tape Recordings,Videotape,Videotape Recordings
D057189 Checklist Aid for consistent recording of data such as tasks completed and observations noted. Checklists
D061108 Social Media Platforms that provide the ability and tools to create and publish information accessed via the INTERNET. Generally these platforms have three characteristics with content user generated, high degree of interaction between creator and viewer, and easily integrated with other sites. Folksonomy,Mobile Social Media,Mobile Social Networks,Social Media Messaging,Social Tagging,Social Medium,Twitter Messaging,Web 2.0,Folksonomies,Media Messaging, Social,Media, Social,Messaging, Social Media,Messaging, Twitter,Mobile Social Medias,Mobile Social Network,Social Media Messagings,Social Media, Mobile,Social Network, Mobile,Social Taggings,Tagging, Social,Web 2.0s

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