Fluoride-related YouTube videos: A cross-sectional study of video contents by upload sources.

The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of the most widely viewed fluoride-related videos on the video sharing website, YouTube, and to compare the content of videos uploaded from different sources. Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 100 fluoride-related, English language videos were manually coded and statistically analyzed. A majority of videos were consumer-generated. Videos that were consumer-generated had the most views of any source (9,737,845 views; 69.32%). Compared to consumer-generated videos, videos uploaded by a professional source were 15.52 times as likely to mention fluoridated toothpaste (Odds ratio, OR=15.52, 95% CI, 1.92, 125.35), 5.04 times as likely to mention the need for training of health personnel (OR=5.04, 95% CI, 1.15, 22.02), 9.69 times as likely to mention the benefits of fluoride on teeth (OR=9.69; 95% CI, 2.01, 46.81), 3.52 times as likely to mention that too much fluoride is negative (OR=3.52, 95% CI, 1.06, 11.73), and 3.44 times as likely to mention the dangers of fluoride use in children 1-5 years old (OR=3.44, 95% CI, 1.05, 11.23). Widely-viewed fluoride-related information on YouTube has an anti-fluoride sentiment, focusing more on the danger of fluoride rather than its benefits.