The good, the great and the dangerous
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 19th August 2023
The internet has been in existence for 40 years. There are many people alive today who have never known life without connected devices, although those of us born before the 70s will recall such a time. The immediacy and convenience that the internet brings today is the basis of modern life. Everything from communication to entertainment, learning and socialising can be done via web-based applications and technologies. Social media is a particular phenomenon of the 21st century, providing a platform to share lives and experiences, and connect people from across the world. Indeed, the dental profession is starting to use social media to great effect too – as well as direct marketing and other digital technologies – to promote the importance of oral health among the general public. While there are many advantages afforded by such online features, however, there are also downsides that we need to be aware of.
An opportunity to educate and connect
Looking first at the benefits, social media provides a great way of connecting with more people and spreading awareness about oral health. In 2022, there were 4.59 billion people using social media around the globe,[i]including approximately 53 million users in the UK.[ii] Though I’m not suggesting that our content could actually be in front of all these people, if the dental profession could collectively reach just 10%, we could still help to expose millions of people to improve their habits and their health. This makes it an excellent platform to share tips and advice, and to encourage people to look after themselves.
Of course, social media is also a very effective way for practices to promote their services and grow their business too. The numbers vary but some sources suggest that social media influences more than 80% of consumers’ purchasing decisions in today’s society, especially when looking at recommendations in posts from family and friends.[iii] This means that a positive review from a patient drastically increases the chance that someone they know will visit for care as well.
Finally, social media can be utilised to inspire and motivate individuals, demonstrating what is possible with good daily habits and even giving people the boost they need to enhance their own smile and self-confidence. Seeing what modern dental treatment can achieve and the difference it can make to one’s quality of life is a fantastic way of inspiring someone to make a change in their own life.
Signs of danger
It almost goes without saying that everything is not rosy in the social media world. Content can easily be created or adjusted in a way that changes it from inspirational to unrealistic, from educational to harmful. Images can be doctored and filters change appearances in videos or live feeds, meaning that what people see on social media is not necessarily the truth or indeed even obtainable. This can set unrealistic expectations and drive people to seek treatment that is dangerous for their health in the long-term.
This leads us perfectly onto the next problem I have seen with social media, and that is the spread of misinformation. Its instant nature means that false information can travel around social media communities fast and individuals can be enticed by empty promises of Hollywood glamour that have no founding whatsoever. The rise of the ‘hacks’ is another example of how social media can impact the general population, especially younger people who are typically more vulnerable to aesthetic pressures and trends from their peers. Several dental ‘hacks’ have already surfaced, from filing down teeth to ‘whitening’ with hydrogen peroxide. Both of these can be detrimental to patient’s oral health.
Resisting the dark side
So, what can we do as dental professionals to protect our patients from the dangers of social media and encourage a healthy outlook for their smile aesthetics? It’s really just about sharing the truth and educating people as much as possible. It is great to show off our best work – indeed I often admire the work of my colleagues in the cosmetic dental sector – but it’s important to highlight that everyone is different and therefore results will vary between individuals. It may also be an idea to give patients an opportunity to ask questions about things they’ve seen on social media, so you can offer validation or rectify the details. We also often talk about managing patient expectations before any treatment is offered and this remains crucial given the mountain of misinformation online.
At the end of the day, our goal as dental professionals is to help individuals enhance and maintain their dental health. It is our responsibility to do what we can to counter the misinformation they may be exposed to in whatever form that takes.
For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999
Or visit www.endocare.co.uk
EndoCare, led by Dr Michael Sultan, is one of the UK’s most trusted Specialist Endodontist practices. Through the use of the latest technologies and techniques, the highly-trained team can offer exceptional standards of care – always putting the patient first. What’s more, EndoCare is a dependable referral centre, to which dentists from across the country send their patients for the best in specialist endodontic treatment.
[i] Statista. Social media & user-generated content. Number of social media users worldwide from 2017 to 2027. https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/ [Accessed May2 023]
[ii] Cybercrew. UK social media statistics and facts 2023. March 2023 {https://cybercrew.uk/blog/social-media-statistics-uk/]
[iii] Forbes. Are brands wielding more influence in social media than we thoughts? May 2012. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2012/05/07/are-brands-wielding-more-influence-in-social-media-than-we-thought/?sh=1fa0143471e1 [Accessed 2023]
