Influence of Social Media on the Perception of Dentofacial Aesthetics: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Social media has become an influential tool with its usage increasing immensely in recent years. This study aimed to assess the impact of social media on the perception of dentofacial aesthetics and its gender-wise comparison among general population of Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023 using an online questionnaire developed on Google Forms, distributed among 500 participants via WhatsApp and Facebook groups among males and females with 18 years or above operating any social media account, using non-probability convenience sampling. SPSS version 25 was used, and categorical variables were compared using Chi-Square Test. p< 0.05 was significant. Results: Out of a total of 455 people who responded, 125 (27.5%) were male, and 330 (72.5%) were female. Females were very frequent (n=244, 53.6%) users of social media (p=0.029), spending 4 to 6 hours every day (p=0.01). There was a significant gender disparity in social media usage, with females predominantly using Instagram (n=308, 93.3%) (p<0.001), Snapchat (n=170, 51.5%) (p=0.012), and TikTok (n=76, 23%) (p=0.042). Furthermore, smile is a key aesthetic element, according to most respondents (n=425, 93.4%). Four out of ten (n=169, 37.1%) followed aesthetic surgeons on social media, and around one-half (236, 51.9%) were influenced by social media beauty standards. Conclusion: The impact of social media on the Pakistani population can be considered as high. People nowadays are influenced by social media applications and are seeking aesthetic treatment as an outcome. It is the responsibility of dentists to educate patients about the best treatment options.

Keywords

• dentists
• esthetics
• social media.