The Impact of Social Media on Oral Hygiene

The Impact of Social Media on Oral Hygiene

Alvin Sherman Library

Social media has become a dominating channel for health communication, influencing how adults accept, interpret, and act on oral health information. This Prisma review examines whether exposure to social media impacts the overall oral hygiene behaviors in adults, specifically focusing on proper oral health practice, consumer behavior, and the type of information being consumed. Guided by a review framework, peer-reviewed studies published across multiple databases were screened for relevance, methodological quality, and alignment with the research question. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional analyses , qualitative investigation, and interventional studies designed to examine the relationship between social media use and oral health education, practice, and consumer decision-making. Findings across the studies revealed a complex and contradictory influence of social media on oral hygiene. Multiple studies demonstrate that professionally curated content and structured digital interventions have a positive influence on behavior change. Conversely, misinformation and mass spread of non-professional advice was show to reduce brushing frequency, increase oral disease symptoms, complicate patients and provider relationships. The effect of social media on adults also significantly shaped consumer behavior. Despite these trends, many behavior changes were short-term, and the true effectiveness of these interventions vary widely across populations and platforms. Overall, the evidence suggests that social media exposure can both positively and negatively affect oral hygiene practice, highlighting the need for credible and evidence based digital strategies to promote sustained oral health behaviors and reduce misinformation.