Self-perception of dental aesthetics and social media influence among students at a Palestinian dental school

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate dental students' self-perception of dental aesthetics, aesthetic treatment preferences, and the perceived influence of social media and to examine whether these outcomes differed by sex and training stage. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, Arab American University, Palestine. A total of 246 students were selected via stratified random sampling by academic year and completed a structured questionnaire. Subgroup analyses were performed by sex and training stage. RESULTS: Composite resin was the preferred restorative material (87.4%), and natural white (A1-A2) was the most preferred anterior shade (79.3%). Teeth whitening was the most common aesthetic treatment (40.2%). Instagram was the main platform for viewing aesthetic dental content (80.5%); 70.7% reported a moderate-to-very strong social media influence on their ideal smile, and 47.2% considered an aesthetic procedure after exposure to social media content. In subgroup analyses, female participants reported greater dissatisfaction with gingival display. Clinical-stage students more often notice gingival defects and are more likely to judge social media-driven aesthetic outcomes as not clinically achievable under routine practice conditions. CONCLUSION: Dental students reported generally positive self-perceptions and strong preferences for natural, tooth-coloured aesthetics, alongside high exposure to social media and substantial perceived influence. Differences by sex and training stage suggest that aesthetic awareness and expectations may evolve with clinical experience. These findings highlight the importance of supporting students in critically evaluating online aesthetic content and communicating clinically feasible outcomes.