Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
4th INTERNATIONAL PARIS CONGRESS ON MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES, Paris, Fransa, 18 - 21 Aralık 2025, ss.10-12, (Özet Bildiri)
INFORMATION ON TEETH WHITENING PRESENTED ON INSTAGRAM: A CONTENT SCOPE AND QUALITY ANALYSIS OF TURKISH POSTS
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: Social media platforms have become a widely used interface for patient information and health communication regarding dental procedures. Teeth whitening (bleaching), one of the most popular and conservative applications in aesthetic dentistry, is a topic that reaches a wide audience on Instagram via hashtags. However, the unsupervised nature of user-generated content, along with the abundance of posts from both professional and non-professional sources, complicates patients' access to evidence-based and reliable information and increases the risk of misinformation. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the scope (Content Score) and information quality (Modified DISCERN Score) of Instagram posts related to teeth whitening.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this observational study, publicly available Instagram posts tagged with #dişbeyazlatma were evaluated. The "top" (most popular) posts listed by the Instagram search algorithm were collected over a one-week period in October 2025. After applying predefined exclusion criteria, a final sample of 500 posts was evaluated. Posts were categorized by poster role (dentist/clinic, influencer, brand), post purpose (marketing, educational, experience), treatment type (in-office, over-the-counter [OTC], DIY/natural products, multiple types, other), and content format (photo, reel, carousel). Like and comment counts were analyzed as interaction metrics, while follower count was recorded as an indicator of account popularity and potential reach.
Content analysis was conducted using an eight-item checklist, and overall information quality was assessed using an eight-item modified DISCERN scale. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to assess normality. When the assumption of normal distribution was not met, non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis with Bonferroni post-hoc correction, and Spearman correlation analysis) were employed. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: Most of the content on the platform consisted of 'Marketing' (74.2%) focused posts produced by 'Influencers' (47.4%). Although the 'Dentist/Clinic' group was found to be statistically significantly superior to other groups in terms of content quality and reliability (Total Content/modified DISCERN Scores) (p < 0.001), it was determined that the highest engagement (Likes and Comments) was concentrated not in these reliable 'Educational' posts, but in 'Marketing' focused posts (p < 0.001). Posts were concentrated in 'Photo' (47.2%) and 'Reels' (42.2%) formats, and their overall quality was low, as supported by the median values (DISCERN Median=2.00) (Content Median=3.00).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:
The findings of this study demonstrate a statistically significant discrepancy between the content quality of Instagram posts under the #dişbeyazlatma hashtag and user engagement (p < 0.05). Current platform dynamics appear to promote low-quality, marketing-focused content created by influencers, rather than high-quality, educational content produced by dentist/clinic accounts. This pattern may reflect a digital environment in which visibility (high engagement) is inversely related to reliability.
The predominance of in-office treatment promotions, combined with the overall insufficiency of information (low median DISCERN and Content scores), suggests a potential commercial bias. High engagement driven by influencers, who prioritize aesthetic appeal over professional accuracy, may constitute a source of misinformation and a significant information pollution problem from a public health perspective. Although Instagram is an effective tool for patient engagement and marketing, the high density of potentially misleading content raises serious concerns. It is therefore crucial for healthcare professionals to take an active role on such platforms to increase the dissemination of evidence-based information and help counter the spread of misinformation.
KEY WORDS: Teeth whitening; Instagram; Social media; Information quality; Misinformation