Comparison of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram as digital sources for obtaining information about pulp therapy in primary and permanent teeth.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the content, educational quality, and dependability of videos on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube about pulp therapy (PT) in pediatric dentistry and endodontics.

Methods: Three popular video sites, Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc.,), TikTok (ByteDance Ltd.), and YouTube (Google LLC), were searched for PT content to analyze for compliance with the American Association of Endodontists and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines for clinical endodontists and pediatric dentists. The searched hashtags were #pulpaltherapy, #pulpaltreatment, #pulptherapy, and #pulptreatment. The classification of 158 English-language videos was based on several variables: communication quality, duration, likes and dislikes, views, source, treatment, and genre. The videos were evaluated using a usefulness score and the Global Quality Scale (GQS), Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, and modified DISCERN score to rate their quality and reliability. The majority of the videos were published by healthcare professionals, dental clinics, and universities.

Results: Significant relationships existed between video length, source of upload, usefulness score, tooth type, pulp status, and VIQI, JAMA, GQS, and DISCERN scores for all three platforms (p<0 .05). A statistically significant relationship existed of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram with the number of views, number of months since upload, view rates, comments and likes (p< 0.05).

Conclusions: TikTok and Instagram reel videos provided high- to moderate-quality information about PT, especially in children, but YouTube may provide more reliable information than other social media tools.