Evaluation of the usefulness and quality of YouTube™ videos about children's electric toothbrushes.

Abstract

The effectiveness of mechanical tooth cleaning, which plays a crucial role in biofilm control, depends on the type of brush and technique. Parents can refer to websites such as YouTube™ for guidance on the selection and use of electric toothbrushes. The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness, quality and accuracy of the information on YouTube™ videos about electric toothbrushes for children. A search was performed on YouTube™ for English language videos using the terms 'electric toothbrush for kids' and 'kids' electric toothbrush'. From the first 100 results, 64 videos were selected for further analysis. The videos were analysed for views, likes/dislikes, number of comments, upload source, duration and time since video upload. The usefulness and the quality of the selected videos were also measured. The majority of the videos mentioned toothbrush design (71.9%, n = 46) and toothbrush heads (62.5%, n = 40). The videos were generally determined to be moderately useful (46.9%), whereas very useful videos were found less frequently (12.5%). Slightly useful videos were mostly uploaded by laypeople. Very useful videos had significantly higher video durations than moderately and slightly useful videos (p = 0.029 and p = 0.002, respectively). YouTube™ can be an important source of information for parents to learn about electric toothbrushes for their children. However, watching videos based on upload source and length of time may provide more accurate information on this topic. Also, dental healthcare professionals could be included more often to improve the usefulness and quality of the videos.