Social media has become part of many of your patients' daily lives. New research examines how this impacts their oral health beliefs.
By Paige Anderson, CRDH
A recent global survey from the Edelman Trust Barometer surveyed 16,009 respondents across 16 countries and found that 7 in 10 people globally held at least one health belief that contradicts medical science. These beliefs affect people of all ages, educational backgrounds, and political leanings.
Patients also felt significantly less confident making health decisions, meaning they are absorbing more health content than ever and feeling less certain about what to do with it.
On the other hand, 80% of survey respondents said their doctor was a trusted source of health information. So, the dental clinician's authority hasn't disappeared, but it is being tested by a digital information environment that may mislead even the best patients.
What the Research Tells Us About Social Media's Pull
A 2026 study published in BDJ Open set out to measure exactly how much social media influences health behavior, and in which populations. Researchers recruited 110 participants aged 18 to 81 from hospital waiting rooms in France and administered a validated 15-item questionnaire designed to capture influence across three dimensions: social, economic, and physical.
The results identified three distinct user clusters:
- Adults over 35 who primarily used Facebook showed little to no influence from health-related social content.
- Snapchat users under 25 showed moderate influence.
- The most heavily influenced group consisted of adults under 35 using Instagram and TikTok, who were more susceptible to both purchasing health-related products and making physical health decisions based on what they saw online.
Women and younger participants were disproportionately affected across the economic and physical dimensions.
When Online Trends Become Clinical Problems
As far back as 2020, more than 20 million Americans had watched bogus dental videos on TikTok, according to the Oral Health Foundation. Those numbers have likely increased considerably in recent years.
At-Home Dental Trends
The content ranges from ineffective to actively harmful, and most clinicians are no strangers to its influence. Oral health myths and trends spread like wildfire on social media, such as claims that:
- Activated charcoal can whiten teeth by several shades.
- Coconut oil pulling can cure gum disease.
- You can make DIY whitening strips with dangerously high chemical concentrations.
- Rubber bands can be used to close diastemas.
- You can improve your smile at home with nail-file enamel contouring.
Oral Health Misinformation
Misinformation also affects what happens when patients come to you for treatment. Anti-fluoride narratives have found a second life on social media, amplifying unfounded claims about fluoride's safety despite decades of supporting research. When patients arrive having watched content questioning standard preventive care, it adds friction to case acceptance conversations that clinicians are then left to navigate.
Patients are also turning to AI to ask health-related questions. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, many people do not question information received from these platforms. AI tends to reinforce existing beliefs and prejudices, meaning it has the potential to solidify misinformation in your patients’ minds.
Bad Oral Health Advice and Glamorizing Risks
The BDJ Open authors also flag dental tourism as a documented downstream risk, noting that social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, plays a central role in glamorizing care abroad, and that practitioners have raised concerns about inconsistent quality, limited follow-up, and medico-legal liability when treating patients who return with complications.
Potential to Help
However, social media is not only a source of bad information. A 2023 systematic review published in PLOS ONE found that social media interventions positively influenced multiple oral health outcomes, including improvements in plaque index, brushing behavior, and periodontal index, and concluded that platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram can be effectively utilized to promote oral health among patients.
Short-form video is emerging as a powerful marketing tool for practices to build patient confidence before the first call, with patients increasingly researching and validating their choices through video content before booking an appointment.
The research is clear that social media's influence on health behavior is real and measurable. The patients most susceptible are often the ones most likely to need preventive guidance. Understanding the landscape they are navigating is the first step in meeting them where they are.
Author: Paige Anderson is a certified registered dental hygienist with eight years of clinical experience and an English degree. She blends her two areas of expertise to create resources for dental providers so they can change lives by giving their patients the highest possible standard of care.
