Evaluation of the quality of YouTube™ videos about pit and fissure sealant applications

Aim To evaluate the content and quality of YouTube™️ videos about pit and fissure sealant application. Methods The keywords “fissure sealant” and “pit and fissure sealant” were used to search for YouTube™️ content, after the first 300 video results were evaluated. Considering the exclusion criteria, a final sample of 110 videos was obtained, which were analysed in terms of the number of views, duration in minutes, the number of subscribers, the total number of “likes” and “dislikes,” the number of comments, days elapsed since upload, the interaction index, and the viewing rate. Global Quality Scoring (GQS) index was also used as a second evaluation method and videos were classified according to the quality of information that it contained as follows: good, moderate, and poor. Results Most of the videos were uploaded by dentists/specialists. Among them, 14 videos had good quality, 63 were of moderate quality, and 33 were poor informative. The good‐quality videos had statistically significantly higher interaction index and viewing rates, and the majority of the videos had a GQS‐2 score. The viewing rate was positively correlated with duration and the number of views, “likes” and “dislikes,” comments, and subscribers. Conclusion There is considerable variability in the scientific accuracy and quality of health information on the Internet. While there are videos that provide sufficient health information, there are also videos that contain insufficient or even incorrect information. Dental care professionals should be aware of misinformation found on YouTube™️ and ensure that patients always have access to accurate and reliable information.