INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOWARDS AESTHETIC DENTISTRY: PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS IN UKM KL DENTAL CLINIC

Received 2024-03-01; Accepted 2024-03-31; Published 2024-03-31

Abstract

Social media is a platform that allows people to search for information on the internet. This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of social media on a patient's choice of aesthetic dental treatment at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (UKM KL). A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting data via an online, electronic-based questionnaire. This study involved 266 respondents, with the age range of 18–40 years old. The questionnaire involved four sections; the demographic data, the usage of social media in accessing aesthetic dentistry, the influence of social media on patients choice of aesthetic dental treatment, and the demand for aesthetic dental treatment that are influenced by the social media. Most of the respondents felt that their most used social media platform is WhatsApp (50.8%). About 60.5% of respondents used social media as their first choice of method for obtaining information on aesthetic dental treatment. 155 out of 266 respondents (58.3%) trusted the information that they obtained from social media about dentistry and treatment options. Teeth whitening was the most desired aesthetic treatment among all others, which were selected by 159 out of 266 respondents (59.8%). In conclusion, the most used social media platform among patients at UKM KL is WhatsApp. Social media has been shown to influence patients’ choice of aesthetic dental treatment, as most of the patients utilized social media to obtain information on aesthetic dentistry. Teeth whitening was the most common choice of aesthetic dental treatment, regardless of the age group of the respondents.