Evaluation of orthodontic retention and retainer content on the Reddit social media website.

BACKGROUND: Social media can provide insight into patient experiences with health care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content regarding orthodontic retention and retainers on the social media website, Reddit. METHODS: A systematic search for relevant content submitted over a 12-month period on the Reddit forum, r/braces, was conducted. Qualitative analysis of the initial posts for themes and subthemes was conducted by two investigators. Responding comments to the initial posts were assessed for supportiveness for each initial poster and alignment with the evidence-base. Quantitative assessment was via descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 271 initial posts and 984 comments satisfied the inclusion/exclusion criteria. All initial posts were by patients. Just 1.12% (n = 11) of the comments appeared to be provided by oral health professionals. Most initial posts were negative (50.18%; n = 136), and most comments were positive (70.42%; n = 693). Alignment with the evidence-base was high among the comments (67.89%; n = 668). Eight main themes were identified with concerns regarding the negative impact of retention and retainers on quality of life, compliance with retention protocols and relapse commonly expressed. Concern regarding fear of relapse when waiting for the initial or renewal of retainers was a novel finding. More negative sentiments about orthodontists were expressed than positive. CONCLUSIONS: Reddit is a supportive and reliable environment for patients regarding orthodontic retention and retainers. The content evaluation suggested deficiencies in communication processes between clinicians and patients. Greater engagement of the orthodontic profession in the provision of supportive and evidence-based information on an individual patient basis and through appropriate information channels is required.

Orthodontic retention and retainers: Quality of information provided by dental professionals on YouTube.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of the quality of information (QOI) contained within oral health-related videos on the video-streaming Web site YouTube has been limited. This study aimed to determine the QOI regarding orthodontic retention and retainers contained within videos uploaded by dental professionals (DPs) to YouTube. METHODS: YouTube was systematically searched using 4 terms. The top 50 videos per search term by "number of times viewed" were stored in a specially created account. Following the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, the videos were assessed for viewing characteristics, and a 4-point scoring system (0-3) was applied to evaluate QOI in 10 predetermined domains. Descriptive statistical analyses, intrarater, and interrater reliability tests were performed. RESULTS: Strong intrarater and interrater reliability scores were observed. Sixty-two videos from the top 50 most-viewed DPs were viewed a total of 1,367,810 times (range 77- 529,543). Most DPs originated from the United States (68%), and orthodontists (88%) uploaded most videos. The mean number (standard deviation [SD]) of reported domains was 5.5 out of 10 (SD, 2.2). The mean overall QOI score per domain was 1.14 out of 3 (SD, 0.64). The "importance of retention" domain scored highest (2.18; SD, 1.2). "The need for retention reviews" domain scored the lowest (0.3; SD, 0.65). The mean overall QOI score per DP was 11.72 out of 30.00 (SD, 5.85). CONCLUSIONS: The QOI related to orthodontic retention and retainers contained within videos provided by DPs through the YouTube Web site is deficient, particularly the need for retainer review. Orthodontists should be aware of the importance of YouTube as an information resource and ensure that videos related to orthodontic retention and retainers contain relevant, high-quality, and evidence-based information.