Quality assessment of YouTube™ videos on gingival recession and its management: A cross-sectional analysis of content reliability and educational value.

BACKGROUND

Gingival recession affects approximately 81% of people worldwide and represents one of the most common oral health issues. Increasingly, more people are using digital platforms to find information about their health, with YouTube represented as a popular source for learning about oral health topics. However, studies have not been conducted on the quality or trustworthiness of gingival recession information that is available on YouTube.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the content quality, usefulness, and reliability of YouTube™ videos concerning gingival recession and its management using validated assessment tools.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using four search terms: "gingival recession," "gum recession treatment," "receding gums," and "gum graft." Twenty videos that met the inclusion criteria were independently evaluated by two calibrated dental evaluators using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), audiovisual quality assessment, and a customized usefulness index. Videos were classified by source (expert vs. non-expert) and content level (high vs. low). Statistical analysis examined the relationships between quality metrics and video characteristics.

RESULTS

Expert-created videos comprised 85% of the sample, significantly higher than previously reported for other dental topics. The mean GQS score was 3.4 ± 0.9, indicating moderate-to-good overall quality. High-content videos accounted for 70% of the sample and expert videos demonstrated significantly superior quality across all metrics (GQS: 3.5 vs. 2.7, P < 0.05; usefulness index: 8.2 vs. 5.3, P < 0.01). Content analysis revealed strong coverage of treatment procedures (80%) but significant gaps in prevention education (35%) and practical considerations (15%).

CONCLUSIONS

YouTube videos concerning gum recession had better quality in terms of content than did videos pertaining to other dental subjects. Videos found on YouTube were at a high level in terms of professional input and contained a moderate-to-high amount of educational information. There was little or no information provided in YouTube videos related to prevention as well as full patient instruction. Therefore, it appears that while YouTube can be a viable source for providing patients with educational materials, there are some subject matter areas that need greater emphasis by professionals.