What are orthodontic residents perusing on social media? A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Social media has impacted all aspects of our professional lives and education, and peer interaction is no exception to this rule. Orthodontic residents, the future of our specialty, and their social media interactions are indicative of what probably augurs for the near foreseeable future. Three hundred and sixty one orthodontic residents from around the world participated in an online cross-sectional survey. Seventy two percent of the residents stated that Instagram was their preferred platform, while 12 % preferred Facebook. "Treatment Techniques" and "before-and-after" pictures were the most viewed. Sixty nine percent stated that they occasionally adopted new clinical techniques after observing them on social media, and 66 % even reported improving their record-keeping and treatment quality through social media influences. Though journals were not popularly followed on social media, 84 % of respondents stated that they learned about conferences through social media interactions. The majority of residents did not participate in social media groups. Orthodontic residents were more optimistic about the reliability of orthodontic information on social media compared to the accuracy assessments found in the literature. The findings of this survey indicate that social media is an important instrument for dental public health awareness and communication and an educational resource for orthodontic residents. The need for regulation of orthodontic information disseminated on social media is an important discourse for the future of our specialty.