Generation Z and online dentistry. An exploratory survey on the Romanian market

Abstract

The paper aims at analyzing the Generation Z online spending habits for dental services in correlation with the demographic factors. At the same time the paper investigates to which extent the Internet influences their decision in choosing a dental service. Moreover the paper tries to identify which online information related to dental care meets most the expectations of the Romanian Generation Z as well as what kind of information these would desire to find online. The research is designed as a quantitative study based on a questionnaire that has been distributed among 630 students from the universities of Cluj-Napoca. The data was collected using a web based approach and was analyzed using frequencies and correlation models. The findings show us that the Romanian Generation Z does not rely heavily on the information found on the Internet when looking for a dentist, but like to inform themselves online when it concerns specific dental procedures. Moreover, the study shows us that females are easier to be influenced by the Internet when it comes in choosing their dentist, while men are more loyal to their dentists. In what regards the most frequently sought information Generation Z is looking for online we discovered that these are the ones related to dental education, oral hygiene and dental caries and they would also want to find information related to prices, alternative treatments and benefits of the used materials. The discovered results are very useful information for all dental care providers, having an overwhelming importance on dental marketing planning, especially for their online promoting strategies.