Dry Socket: Are YouTube Videos Helpful Source For This Painful Condition?

Objective: Using social media for medical information is gaining popularity. Dry socket is a common dental health issue. This study aimed to investigate YouTube videos about dry socket and to evaluate their usefulness for patient education. Methods: A YouTube search was performed for videos using the terms 'dry socket' and 'alveolar osteitis,' resulting in a total of 200 pre-screened videos (100 for each term). Demographic information was collected from 61 videos that met the inclusion criteria. Video resources were categorized as dentist/specialist dentist, health institutions, and others (individuals, health-related social media platforms). Video types were classified as educational, patient experience, and scientifically misleading. Two independent observers evaluated video content using a customized 10-point scoring system. The videos were rated as poor (0), moderate (1), or excellent (2) based on their information, data flow, and content quality. Results: The average usefulness score was 0.92, with no significant difference observed between the usefulness scores of videos based on upload source and video type (P >.05). Excellent videos demonstrated significantly higher video length and interaction index compared to poor and moderate videos (P