Analyzing Content and Quality of YouTube™ Videos on Removal of Amalgam Fillings

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the information quality and content of operational videos available on YouTube (TM) regarding removal of amalgam fillings. Methods: The videos were determined using the words "Removal of amalgam fillings" and "Replacement of amalgam fillings" in the YouTube (TM) search section. 85 videos were included for analysis. Demographics of videos, viewers' interactions, and viewing rates were evaluated. The videos were analyzed in two parameters in terms of audio-visual quality and the SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique) protocol steps. Results: It was determined that dentist accounts ranked first (62%) in the distribution of video sources. While only 19% of the videos were of "Excellent" audio-visual quality, 49% were rated as "Moderate" and 33% were rated as "Poor". In the SMART evaluation, while only 10% of the videos got the "Maximal Useful" score, the majority of the videos got the "Slightly Useful" score (58%). There was no statistical relationship between the "View Rate" and "Interaction Index" variables of the videos (p> 0.05). Conclusions: Operational videos about removal of dental amalgam fillings should be uploaded to YouTube (TM) after approval by the experts of the subject. Students should be warned about videos which contain insufficient information. Videos should be prepared in line with current information in the literature.