Impact of Social Media on Parents of Pediatric Dental Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Aim: To evaluate how social media influences parents’ knowledge and attitudes regarding children’s oral health and their treatment-related decision-making in pediatric dentistry, and to explore parents’ perceptions of pediatric dentists’ professional social media content, including differences between public-hospital and private-clinic attendees.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of children aged 0–15 years attending public hospitals and private pediatric dentistry clinics in Aydın, Türkiye. Data were collected using a validated 25-item questionnaire comprising four sections: sociodemographic characteristics, social media use, online behaviors, and perceptions of pediatric dentists’ social media content. Analyses were performed using SPSS 19.0. Descriptive statistics were reported as frequencies and percentages, and categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests with Bonferroni correction (p