YouTube Videos: A Learning Tool for Periodontology Education

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Periodontology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Video-based learning is an effective educational tool across disciplines.
• YouTube offers a vast repository of educational content, including specialized dental topics.
• Periodontology education can benefit from supplementary digital resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of YouTube videos as an educational tool in periodontology.
• To evaluate the knowledge gained by dental students from watching periodontology videos on YouTube.
• To explore YouTube's potential as a supplementary resource for periodontology education.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study involving 100 final-year dental undergraduates.
• Pre- and post-tests were administered to measure knowledge on periodontology topics before and after video exposure.
• Paired t-test analysis was used to evaluate knowledge gain from YouTube videos on bone grafts, dental implants, and periodontal flaps.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in mean test scores was observed, from 6.74 ± 11.53 in the pre-test to 25.64 ± 8.68 in the post-test (P < 0.0001).
• The difference in mean scores indicated substantial knowledge acquisition after viewing the periodontology videos.
• A large majority of students (80-90%) expressed a strong interest in utilizing YouTube videos for their periodontology studies.

Conclusions:

• YouTube videos serve as highly effective adjunctive educational tools in periodontology for dental students.
• The study highlights significant knowledge enhancement and high student satisfaction with YouTube as a learning resource.
• Integrating YouTube videos into dental curricula can substantially improve the periodontology learning experience.