Social media, initially intended for personal use, is now increasingly utilized by businesses to promote their products and services, including dental practices.
To gauge the influence of social media on students aged 18 and older, a study published in Nature on Sept. 16 revealed that social media significantly impacts these decisions. According to the study, 29.37 per cent of respondents indicated that social media influenced their choice to undergo aesthetic dental treatments.
Additionally, 33.33 per cent of participants used social media to find information about their last aesthetic dental treatment. The influence was consistent across genders and types of treatments. However, those who had treatments within the last year were more influenced by social media compared to those who had treatments more than two years ago.
The study collected a total of 964 responses, but 457 were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The researchers also cited a previous study that found social media had a greater influence on participants who had changed dental practices in the past or current year. They advised that further studies are needed to analyze the growing influence of social media on dental patients, as the use of these platforms is becoming increasingly popular.
