Analysis of YouTube Videos Related to a Child’s First Dental Visit

BACKGROUND As parents increasingly turn to online videos for paediatric dental information, it is important to assess the content of those videos and determine whether parents are receiving accurate information. AIMS To describe and assess the video characteristics, viewer engagement, and content of the most-viewed YouTube videos about a child's first dental visit. DESIGN The 100 most popular YouTube videos related to a child's first dental visit were assessed for consistency with current professional guidelines, which included a first visit by age 1, teeth cleaning or prophylaxis, fluoride application, caries risk assessment, dietary counseling, oral hygiene instruction, frequency of dental visits, and anticipatory guidance . Differences in video characteristics (length, age, and viewer engagement) were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Mann-Whitney U tests, and differences in content and characteristics by video upload source (health care professionals, parents/caregivers, and independent media outlets) were examined using χ2 and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS The predominant upload source was parents/caregivers (40%) followed by independent media outlets (32%) and health care professionals (28%). Median video length was 2 minutes, 24 seconds (IQR = 2:05-3:49), and median video age was 4 years (IQR = 3-4 years). Most videos were filmed in a paediatric dental office (73%) and focused on motivational vs. educational content (77% vs. 23%, respectively). With regard to viewer engagement, videos uploaded by media outlets generated higher viewing rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (mean rank [MR] = 44.7 vs. 24.8, respectively) and health care professionals (MR = 34.8 vs. 31.5) and higher interaction rates than those uploaded by parents/caregivers (MR = 50.8 vs. 25.0) and health care professionals (MR = 39.1 vs. 20.6). Videos uploaded by health care professionals were more likely to provide educational content that was consistent with professional recommendations, particularly regarding caries risk assessment (32.1%), dietary counseling (21.4%), and frequency of dental visits (10.7%) compared with videos uploaded by parents/caregivers (5.0%, 5.0%, and 0%, respectively) and media outlets (0%, 3.1%, and 0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study found that the most popular videos related to a child' first dental visit, as measured by viewer engagement, were uploaded by parents or caregivers, were longer and newer, and featured motivational rather than educational content. The 100 most-viewed videos rarely presented information that was consistent with professional recommendations for children's oral health, particularly regarding caries risk assessment and anticipatory guidance.