. 2022 Feb 1;56(1):31–38.

Table 1.

Studies included in this literature review (N = 13)

Reference	Research design	Major conclusions
Abu-Ghazaleh et al. 2018²⁷	Quantitative; descriptive	Social media sites are increasingly used to obtain health-related information, particularly by clients. Dental professionals should place more emphasis on posting accurate health-related information suitable for the layperson, including basic management of oral health concerns.
Alalawi et al. 2019¹⁵	Quantitative; cross-sectional	Social networking sites are gaining attention from clients, health care practitioners, and researchers. Clients increasingly use social networking sites to get updated on health information. The presence of oral health care professionals on social networking sites and correct client-provider interaction online are important for communicating accurate health information to new and former clients.
Bhola and Hellyer 2016³¹	Qualitative; descriptive	Evidence suggests that social media has a role in health care education, particularly due to the widespread use of these platforms. Dental educators should teach students how to use social media safely to supplement foundational training, as misinformation also exists on the Internet.
Dias da Silva et al. 2019⁷	Quantitative; cross-sectional	Most of the educational content found on popular websites, such as YouTube, does not match published reliability criteria. Dental educators should teach students how to search for reliable video resources online.
Emmott et al. 2021¹⁰	Mixed-methods; cross-sectional	Social media is used to extensively seek antibiotics, avoid dental care, and provide support to people with toothaches. Dental providers should manage client behaviour by addressing expectations through proper education.
Haslam et al. 2019⁸	Quantitative; cross-sectional	The public is increasingly using social media to gain knowledge on health issues. Health care providers have a responsibility to ensure that health-related videos and posts contain accurate information and are readily accessible to searchers.
Holden 2019¹³	Mixed-methods; cross-sectional	Discourses within online media contribute to the development and understanding of contexts and affect the promotion of oral health. Many online media sources continue to mislead the public, suggesting a weak link between oral and overall health.
Knosel et al. 2011⁶	Quantitative; cross-sectional	Videos under a category labeled “Education” on YouTube have a higher degree of usefulness and informational value for people. Dental educators need to recognize the importance of these websites in shaping public opinion about oral health information and oral health professions.
Nason et al. 2016²	Quantitative; cross-sectional	YouTube videos for endodontics varied by source and content was incomplete. Danger exists as clients rely on YouTube for information. Endodontic professionals need to direct clients towards high-quality information.
Oakley and Spallek 2012¹²	Qualitative; descriptive	The Internet and social media are used to disseminate information. However, published information may be inappropriate or inaccessible. Calls for dental professionals to use social media as another means to provide accurate dental education.
Puspitasari and Firdauzy 2019²⁸	Quantitative; cross-sectional	Clients are increasingly using online sources to engage with health information and care needs. Intention to use social media for health-related purposes is driven by awareness of preventing or reducing health problems. Social media should be optimized for promoting a healthy lifestyle and educating society about health and care management.
Stellefson et al. 2020¹¹	Qualitative; descriptive	The use of social media for public health education is rising, particularly as the Internet removes physical barriers for access to information. Social media should be optimized to effectively leverage technological tools in promoting health messages and reducing misinformation to the public.
Ventola 2014²⁰	Qualitative; descriptive	Social media tools can be used to enhance client education and professional networking but can also present potential risks for distribution of poor-quality information and other legal/ethical issues. Health care institutions and professional organizations should issue guidelines to prevent and/or mitigate these risks online.