Relevance of Internet data on Dentistry in Global Countries using the Google Trends Approach

Aim: The purpose of current study was to compare Google Trends (GT) values on dental terms (dental caries, toothache, dentist, teeth whitening, and toothbrush) with countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) and population. Materials and Methods: Dental terms of the GT values “dental caries, toothache, dentist, teeth whitening, and toothbrush” were obtained through the GT application, including “All categories and search sources.” The findings were obtained for 49 countries from around the world with data. The GDP and population values of the countries analyzed were used. Spearman correlation was used to investigate the correlation between dentistry-related data and the GDP and population values of the countries (p<0.05). Results: The positive moderate correlations between GDP and toothbrush values were statistically significant (r=0.582; p<0.001). The positive moderate correlation between GDP and dentist values was statistically significant (r=0.615; p<0.001). The negative moderate correlation between GDP and toothache values was statistically significant (r=-0.476; p=0.001). The negative correlation between dentist and population values was statistically significant (r=-0.398; p=0.005). The positive moderate correlation between dentist and toothbrush values was statistically significant (r=0,632; p<0,001). The negative moderate correlation between dentist and dental caries values was statistically significant (r=-0,403; p<0,001). Conclusion: Individuals who care about oral health search more for terms such as toothbrush and teeth whitening and less for terms such as dental caries and toothache. Moreover, individuals in countries with a high GDP are significantly less likely to search online for terms such as toothache.