Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

The use of social media has become increasingly common nowadays, and most people relay on it for communication and data gathering. There is evidence that suggests the place social media has in health care education, but there is limited research on the impact social media has in aesthetic dentistry, especially in Saudi Arabia. Aim: The goal of this study is to investigate the influence of popular social media platforms on the perception of, and the demand for aesthetic dentistry in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Two surveys were developed targeting the population of Saudi Arabia and dental practitioners in Riyadh. A nationwide survey was posted to a random sample of the Saudi population requesting sociodemographic details and information about the provided aesthetic dental procedures and the demand for them. Another survey was conducted and physically distributed among dental practitioners in Riyadh, requesting sociodemographic details and their opinions regarding the effect of social media on their patient’s perceptions of and demand for aesthetic dentistry. Results: The total responses were 965 of the Saudi population, and 300 of dental practitioners in Riyadh. The majority reported that social media had an effect on the satisfaction of the appearance of their teeth (41.9%), and it contributed to their awareness about aesthetic dentistry (66.1%). On the other hand, similar patterns were observed with the dental practitioners’ survey results. The results showed an increase in patients' aesthetic demand after using social media, and the percentage of patients asking for an aesthetic procedure solely because it was a social media trend was (78.3%). Conclusion: Social media appears to have an impact on the perception of, and the demand for various aesthetic dental procedures in Saudi Arabia. It is also used as an effective way of marketing and as a communication tool in aesthetic dentistry.
Key words: Social Media, Aesthetic Dentistry.

Received: 26 February, 2019                  Revised: 29 March, 2019                        Accepted: 30 March, 2019

Corresponding author: Dr. Sultan Binalrimal, Riyadh Elm University, Restorative Department, P.O.Box: 36517 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 11429

This article may be cited as: Binalrimal S. The Effect of Social Media on the Perception and Demand of Aesthetic Dentistry.  J Adv Med Dent Scie Res 2019;7(5): 63-67.