Use of YouTube for Mastery of Clinical Skills in Dental Education

The increasing integration of digital platforms has transformed the way clinical skills are taught in dental education. YouTube has emerged as a prominent resource, offering an array of instructional videos that can supplement traditional learning. However, the extent to which dental students in Pakistan utilize this platform for clinical skill acquisition remains underexplored, highlighting a significant gap in the existing literature. Objectives: To evaluate the utilization and effectiveness of YouTube as a learning tool for clinical skills among dental students and house officers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 150 dental students and house officers at Combined Military Hospitals, Lahore Medical College, Institute of Dentistry. House officers from other medical professions were excluded. The sample size of 150 was calculated through the M Calculator. Participants completed a 19-item questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. For the data analysis, descriptive tests, frequencies, chi-square and the Kruskal Wallis tests were employed. Results: Most students (87.3 %) solely depended on internationally produced videos. 26.7% of the participants used the platform for educational purposes. Only 44% of the participants used YouTube as a supplement to learn clinical procedures. 47.3% reported watching YouTube videos before their first attempt at a procedure. Conclusions: It was concluded that YouTube is a valuable source of learning and presents the necessity of incorporating technology-enhanced tools, such as YouTube, into dental schools.