title: Social media use by orthodontic patients.
abstract: Internet-based social media sites have recently surged in popularity and are often used to share thoughts and seek support about health issues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate how orthodontic patients use Internet-based social media sites to share their treatment-related experiences and attitudes towards braces. A secondary objective was to investigate whether an online or mobile application would be considered helpful in improving co-operation with the use of orthodontic appliances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients visiting the orthodontic clinic at the University of Otago were asked to participate in a cross-sectional survey that sought details of their Internet-based social media use and their thoughts about the development of a reminder application.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample comprised 130 orthodontic patients, with a mean age of 17.2 (SD 6.9) and a nearly equal sex distribution (52.3% were female). Internet-based social media sites were used by 80.8%, with Facebook being the most popular. Some 13.3% of the sample had posted comments about braces on these social media sites. Only 6.7% had considered obtaining information about orthodontic treatment from Internet-based social media sites, with the majority (81%) preferring to seek this information directly from their orthodontist. Nearly two-thirds of those who had difficulty remembering to wear their orthodontic appliances reported that a reminder application on their phone would be beneficial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large proportion of orthodontic patients use Internet-based social media sites, although only a few currently use them to post about treatment-related topics. Social media sites may provide a useful channel of communication for patients seeking support. Further research is needed to evaluate the use of phone reminder applications in orthodontics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henzell
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Antoun
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D057218:Blogging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D063731:Mobile Applications; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000523:psychology; D017010:Reminder Systems; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060756:Social Networking