Conflicting demands that dentists and dental care professionals experience when using social media: a scoping review

Introduction There are many conflicting demands for dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) when using social media, for example between using social media for marketing and as professional provider of information. To gain a fuller understanding of how dentists/DCPs should optimally use social media, these conflicting demands need to be explored. The aim of this scoping review was to map out the current state of the literature describing the conflicting demands encountered by dentists and DCPs when using social media and the approaches used to manage these conflicting demands.Methods A scoping review was carried out. PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection were searched using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data was extracted from the identified articles and analysed.Results The review identified 39 articles for inclusion. Conflicting demands were related to marketing and education with little information about how these conflicting demands can be managed.Conclusions The published literature on dentists'/DCPs' use of social media highlights that there are conflicting demands and little advice on management strategies. To gain an understanding of these conflicting demands, further research is required, including looking at the patient perspective, to inform future practice.