Effect of social media advertisements on the treatment decisions of patients for veneers and lumineers, patient perspectives: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: The study objective was to assess the association between social media advertisements related to veneers and lumineers and the treatment decision made by the patients. Methods: This study was carried out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from January to June 2021 using a convenient sampling technique with 220 participants. Patients receiving treatment in public hospitals, who have been exposed to social media advertisements on dental veneers and Lumineers, were induded. The questionnaire focused on the person's usage of social networking sites, factors influencing the plum for treatment of veneers or Lumineers, and whether the advertisements on social media influenced their decision for a particular treatment. Results: The respondents were predominantly female (83.6%), between 25 and 34 years of age (36.4%), and from the Central Region (84.1%) of Saudi Arabia. The majority of the sample (72.3%) spent more than 2 hours daily on social media. Moreover, 33.2% used 3 social media platforms. A significant association was found between the hours of exposure to social media and the likelihood of considering that social media influenced the request for veneers and lumineers (p=0.034). However, the association was not significant for the group who already had veneers or lumineers (p=0.199). The association between the tendency to seek veneers or lumineers when the advertisers were dental professionals was significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: Social media had a significant influence on the tendency to seek veneer and lumineers treatments and the type of social media influencer had a significant effect on this tendency.