Evaluation of the Quality and Educational Value of YouTube Videos on Class IV Resin Composite Restorations

Objectives: The increasing reliance on online platforms for dental education necessitates an assessment of the quality and reliability of available resources. This study aimed to evaluate YouTube videos as educational tools for Class IV resin composite restorations. Methods: The first 100 YouTube videos were screened, and 73 met the inclusion criteria. The videos were evaluated using the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI) and specific content criteria derived from the dental literature. Videos with a score below the mean were identified as low-content videos. Results: No significant differences were noted between high- and low-content videos when examining the number of views, number of likes, duration, days since upload, viewing rate, interaction index, and number of subscribers (p > 0.05). The high-content videos demonstrated higher mean values compared with the low-content videos in flow (4.11 vs. 3.21; p < 0.0001), accuracy (4.07 vs. 3.07; p < 0.0001), quality (4 vs. 2.66; p < 0.0001), and precision (4.16 vs. 2.86; p < 0.0001). The overall VIQI score was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) for high-content videos (Mean 16.34; SD 2.46) compared with low-content videos (Mean 11.79; SD 2.96). For content score, high-content videos (Mean 9.36; SD 1.33) had a higher score (p < 0.0001) than low-content videos (Mean 4.90; SD 2.04). The key areas lacking sufficient coverage included occlusion, shade selection, and light curing techniques. Conclusions: While a significant portion of YouTube videos provided high-quality educational content, notable deficiencies were identified. This analysis serves as a call to action for both content creators and educational institutions to prioritize the accuracy and completeness of online dental education.