ArticleIrish journal of medical science2026
The impact of social media on dental students' oral and dental health awareness.
Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
objectiveThis study investigated the relationship between social media usage patterns, social media attitudes, and online health information seeking/trust behaviors (HINTS) and oral health awareness and behaviors (OHBQ) among dental students.
methodData was collected from 390 students studying at dental faculties through face-to-face surveys. Daily social media time and platform preference were recorded; Social Media Attitude Scale, OHBQ, and HINTS-based scale scores were calculated.
resultsThe average age of the participants was 21.64±1.95 years, and 63.3% were female. Daily usage was most concentrated in the 1-3-hour (40.8%) and 3-5-hour (42.6%) ranges; the most frequently used platform was Instagram (69.2%). 90.3% of the participants reported being exposed to content related to teeth whitening, 23.6% tried the product/method they saw, and 57.4% reported an increased need for aesthetic/whitening after exposure. The most engaging content was on smile design/aesthetics (57.4%), dentist recommendations (35.1%), and teeth whitening products (33.1%). OHBQ was positively correlated with HINTS (ρ=0.345, p<0.001) and showed a weaker but significant correlation with social media attitude (ρ=0.221, p<0.001). In the multivariate model, 23.4% of the OHBQ variance was explained (R
conclusionOnline health information search/verification behaviors and positive social media attitudes appear to be associated with better oral health behaviors among dental students. It is recommended that digital health literacy and content verification skills be integrated into undergraduate education. This is important for clinical training.
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