Social media (SM) platforms are frequently used for various purposes, such as obtaining medical information in the field of health, sharing the experiences of patients about their diseases, and promoting drugs/products. The aim of this study is to examine the content of Turkish YouTube videos (TVYs) about oral aphthae, which are frequently seen in society today, and to evaluate the videos in terms of their usefulness as a source of information. This study evaluated the top 100 TYVs filtered by relevance using the keyword "aphthae" in Turkish. The videos were evaluated according to their target audience, sources, and content. The Global quality index (GQS) of related videos and modified_DISCERN scores were calculated. Although oral aphthae are also common in the pediatric population, the target audience of the videos was generally adults. It was determined that the non-medical treatment options recommended for the treatment of the disease in the videos were statistically significantly higher than the medical treatment. The GQS & DISCERN scores of the videos created by healthcare professionals were found to be statistically significantly higher than the videos created by influencers and patients who experienced the disease. Although SM has become a widely used information source for patients today, there were significant differences in the quality of TYVs containing information about oral aphthae. In light of the data obtained from the present study, it is not possible to evaluate the shares of non-health professionals as a reliable and accurate source of information. More active use of SM applications such as YouTube by health professionals may enable these platforms to be a useful source of information.
Key words: Aphthae, dentistry, social media, YouTube, pediatric dentistry
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