Tziovara, P.; Tzortzakaki, A.S.; Chatzidaki, Z.; Antoniadou, M. Decoding Online Teeth Whitening Videos: Navigating Social Media Complexities. Preprints2024, 2024010630. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0630.v1
APA Style
Tziovara, P., Tzortzakaki, A.S., Chatzidaki, Z., & Antoniadou, M. (2024). Decoding Online Teeth Whitening Videos: Navigating Social Media Complexities. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0630.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tziovara, P., Zinovia Chatzidaki and Maria Antoniadou. 2024 "Decoding Online Teeth Whitening Videos: Navigating Social Media Complexities" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0630.v1
Abstract
In the era of digital information consumption, YouTube has emerged as a prominent platform for disseminating knowledge across various domains. One such area that has gathered significant attention is teeth whitening, with a plethora of videos offering insights into professional proce-dures, home remedies, and personal experiences. This study delves into the vast landscape of teeth whitening content on YouTube, meticulously categorizing videos into professional and amateur domains. The aim is to critically analyze the information presented, considering its accuracy, re-liability, and potential impact on public perceptions and oral health choices. A total of 100 videos in Greek (n1= 73) and in English (n2= 27) were studied. The analysis was based on views, likes, publication year, duration, presence of background music, and the presence of a description. The completion date of the search was October 7, 2023. Professional videos predominantly present whitening as a painless, conservative, and economical procedure, emphasizing safety measures. Bleaching mechanisms involving hydrogen peroxide and carbamide are explored, with various application techniques discussed, including whitening strips, splints, and in-office procedures. Contradictory findings on the efficacy of home versus in-office treatments are highlighted. In-ternal and external discoloration factors are delineated, with contraindications specified. Amateur videos, garnering greater public appeal, present personal experiences, product promotions, and homemade remedies, reflecting a concerning trend of misinformation. The analysis incorporates viewer engagement metrics, emphasizing the impact of non-professional content. As social media platforms play an increasingly influential role in shaping healthcare narratives, understanding the nuances of dental discourse on YouTube becomes crucial for both practitioners and the public. This exploration encompasses a spectrum of topics, ranging from the chemical intricacies of bleaching agents to the societal dynamics influencing viewer preferences. By unraveling the complexities of online dental information, this study seeks to contribute valuable insights to the evolving land-scape of oral health education in the digital age. Future research should adopt a multi-platform approach and explore the dynamic interaction between content creators and viewers for a more holistic comprehension of online dental information.
Keywords
teeth whitening; whitening techniques; You tube; professional videos; amateur videos; dental safety; social media impact; dental health education
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
