Social media and orthodontics: A mixed-methods analysis of orthodontic-related posts on Twitter and Instagram.

INTRODUCTION

In modern health care, social media has become an important tool for both patients and professionals. On platforms like Twitter and Instagram, patients can express their experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding their orthodontic treatment or the available treatment options. This study aimed to investigate orthodontic-related social media use by analyzing the contents of posts made by patients and/or peers and exploring potential differences of users' attitudes on Twitter and Instagram.

METHODS

During a 30-day period, we collected 361 orthodontic-related posts-153 from Twitter and 208 from Instagram-using the same search strategy on both platforms. A mixed-methods approach was applied. First, all posts were structured according to a qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, quantitative analysis was performed to detect potential differences between posts on Twitter and Instagram.

RESULTS

The following main themes were identified: "Getting braces" and "Getting braces removed," "Limitations due to braces," "Seeking information," and "Comedy." In addition to this classification, all posts were categorized as positive, negative, or neutral. Pictures and emoticons were frequently used to express experiences, attitudes, and emotions regarding orthodontic appliances. There were significant differences between posts on Twitter and those on Instagram; that is, the latter contained more posts that were categorized as positive.

CONCLUSIONS

To date, only a few studies addressed the role of social media for orthodontic patients. This study provided insights into the experiences, attitudes, and emotions of patients and their peers regarding orthodontics and helped to reveal the potential impact of social media use on the field of orthodontics. Attention must be paid to the functional differences between Twitter and Instagram because these might lead patients to express themselves in specific ways.