The attitudes of students towards Instagram dental marketing, online communication with dentists, and information about oral health on the Internet

Abstract

Information about oral health available on the Internet, videos of dental procedures on YouTube, and Facebook groups, whose members are dentists, have contributed to dentistry finding its place online. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes and behavior of student population towards: dental marketing on Instagram, patient-dentist relationship through social media, and information about oral health found on the Internet. Participants and Methods: The research included 226 students of the University of Niš, who participated in an anonymous online survey of 16 questions created in Google Forms. Results: Every sixth respondent from those who follow a dental office on Instagram have chosen the office because of Instagram. Females search for dentists more frequently on the Internet than males. Most of the respondents, who are friends with dentist on a social network, still most often contact them by phone. The oldest respondents do not find it appropriate to be friends with a dentist on social media. The majority of those who are unsure about the accuracy of oral health informations from the Internet, do not discuss them with their dentist. Conclusion: Instagram does not play a key role in the choice of a dentist among respondents, and communication with a dentist through social media is less prevalent than other forms of communication with a dentist. However, more than half of the respondents consult the Internet before going to the dentist.

Keywords

• dentistry
• students
• internet
• social networks
• instagram
• dental marketing