Preferences, perception and impact of using dental social media in Kuwait

Objective: To explore the pattern and impact of social media usage in the dental field as well as the users' perception on the dental accounts' existence, including their credibility level and professional image. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Online survey disseminated on social media platforms as well as to the patients attending a governmental specialized dental center in Kuwait between 24th Jan 2019 and 27th March 2019. Subjects: Only participants aged 16 or above and using social media were eligible to participate. Intervention: No intervention applied Main outcome measure: The usage pattern and impact of social media platforms on oral health Results: A total of 506 participants were included. Results showed that 76.1% of the participants (n=385) preferred to use InstagramT among other platforms. Posting videos instead of static photos were preferred for oral health information delivery by 72% of the survey responses. The credibility level of the dental accounts varies according to the employment nature, with the governmental sector being the highest. Most of the participants (n=382, 76%) validate the dental information disseminated on social media mainly by searching on the internet (n=357, 71%), while 54% of them (n=275) found that the existence of dental accounts on social media is a major reason to find and choose a dental clinic or dentist for a visit. Conclusions: Social media has a positive impact on oral health awareness and habits. However, educating the public about the evidence-based practice should be considered, especially with the inflated misinformation on social media.