Crown Lengthening Videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo: A Comparative Study

Objective: Online video platforms are increasingly used as sources of dental information; however, the information provided about crown lengthening may vary across platforms.This study evaluated crown lengthening videos available on YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo.Methods: Publicly available videos were systematically screened on YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo.A total of 267 videos (134 YouTube, 19 TikTok, and 114 Vimeo) were included.Crown lengthening-specific information coverage was assessed using the 10-item Crown Lengthening Clinical Content Checklist (CL-CCC), information reliability using modified DISCERN, and overall quality using the Global Quality Score (GQS).Platform differences, uploader and presentation characteristics, correlations, and interrater reliability were analyzed.Results: The median CL-CCC score was 4 (IQR, 2-6) and did not differ significantly across platforms (p=0.091).Preoperative periodontal/anatomical assessment was more frequently addressed on YouTube (adjusted p=0.024).Modified DISCERN and GQS differed significantly across platforms (both p=0.009).Videos with professional verbal explanations had higher CL-CCC, modified DISCERN, and GQS scores, whereas videos containing surgical procedure footage had lower scores.Video duration was positively correlated with CL-CCC (ρ=0.590),modified DISCERN (ρ=0.544), and GQS (ρ=0.665), while view count was not significantly associated with these scores.Interrater reliability was high.After adjustment for video duration, the overall platform effect remained significant for CL-CCC (p=0.019), but not for modified DISCERN (p=0.180) or GQS (p=0.506).Conclusions: Crown lengthening videos across YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo frequently underrepresented key information related to biological rationale, treatment planning, healing, and risks.Video popularity did not reflect more comprehensive or higher-quality information.