The Use of Social Media and its Impact on Enhancing Dental Care and Practice Among Dental Professionals (Preprint)

BACKGROUND As digitalization continues to advance globally, the healthcare sector, including dental practice, increasingly recognizes social media as a vital tool for healthcare promotion, patient recruitment, marketing, and communication strategies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the use of social media and assess its impact on enhancing dental care and practice among dental professionals in the Philippines. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among dental practitioners in the Philippines. The study utilized a 23-item questionnaire, which included five questions on dentists’ background and demographic information and eighteen questions regarding the use, frequency, and purpose of social media in patient advising and quality of care improvement. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, with frequency distributions and chi-square tests to assess the association between social media use and demographic variables and its impact on dental practice. RESULTS Of the 265 participants, the majority were female (77%), aged 20-30 years (54.7%), general practitioners (98.1%), working in private practice (90.6%), and with less than 5 years of clinical experience (58.5%). Social media was used by 67.5% of the participants in their profession. Facebook was the most commonly used platform (67.5%). The primary purpose of social media use was oral health promotion and education (72.1%), followed by connecting and communicating with patients, friends, and family (62.3%), marketing and advertising (56.6%), and exchanging opinions and views with colleagues (42.6%). Among those who used social media, 53.6% reported improvements in their dental practice, and 64.2% noted improvements in the quality of care delivered to patients. CONCLUSIONS General practitioners primarily use social media for oral health promotion and education in their dental practice. Social media plays a crucial role in enhancing dental care and practice among dental professionals, serving as a vital tool in improving knowledge sharing, patient engagement, and professional networking. This has significantly contributed to the overall advancement of the dental field.