Assessment of internet data on orthodontic treatment and oral hygiene in the Marmara region using Google Trends: a methodological study

Year 2025, Volume: 59 Issue: 3, 172 - 178, 08.10.2025

Hande Uzunçıbuk , Meltem Tekbaş Atay

https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251527862

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the relationship between Google Trends (GT) data on orthodontics and oral hygiene terms from 2019, 2020, and 2021 and the gross domestic product (GDP) and population of cities in the Marmara Region.

Materials and Methods: GDP, population, and GDP per capita data for Turkiye and the Marmara Region were collected. Using GT, searches for orthodontics, brackets, clear aligners, orthodontic toothbrush, toothpaste, and tooth decay were analyzed for 2019–2021. GT values for Turkiye and Marmara cities were recorded. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for group comparisons, followed by Dunn's test for identifying significant differences. Spearman's rho correlation analysis assessed relationships between parameters.

Results: In 2021, the GT score for toothpaste was significantly higher than in 2019–2020 (p < 0.05). In 2019, clear aligner and tooth decay GT scores showed a positive, significant correlation with GDP (p < 0.05). In 2020 and 2021, braces, clear aligner, and tooth decay GT scores also correlated positively with GDP (p < 0.05). A consistent positive correlation between clear aligner and dental caries was observed across all three years (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: GT data demonstrate its potential as a valuable tool for epidemiological research, digital data management, and evidence-based analysis. Findings suggest that individuals in higher GDP provinces are more likely to search for advanced orthodontic treatment, particularly clear aligners.

Keywords

Orthodontics , oral hygiene , dental caries , internet , population

References

• Zaura E, Pappalardo VY, Buijs MJ, Volgenant CMC, Brandt BW. Optimizing the quality of clinical studies on oral microbiome: A practical guide for planning, performing, and reporting. Periodontol 2000 2021;85:210-36. google scholar
• Choi YY. Relationship between orthodontic treatment and dental caries: results from a national survey. Int Dent J 2020;70:38-44. google scholar
• Al Hariri MH, Karkoutly M, Al Kurdi S, Alkassar M, Bshara N. The efficacy of the dental Water Jet, orthodontic, and conventional toothbrushes in plaque removal around orthodontic braces in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. Clin Exp Dent Res 2023;9:606-13. google scholar
• Brent Bowen T, Rinchuse DJ, Zullo T, DeMaria ME. The influence of text messaging on oral hygiene effectiveness. Angle Orthod 2015;85:543-8. google scholar
• Topsakal KG, Duran GS, Görgülü S, Eser Misir S. Is YouTube TM an adequate source of oral hygiene education for orthodontic patients? Int J Dent Hyg 2022;20:504-11. google scholar
• Sbricoli L, Bernardi L, Ezeddine F, Bacci C, Di Fiore A. Oral Hygiene in Adolescence: A Questionnaire-Based Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022;19:7381. google scholar
• Montaldo C, Erriu M, Giovanna Pili FM, Peluffo C, Nucaro A, Orrû G, et al. Microbial Changes in Subgingival Plaque and Polymicrobial Intracellular Flora in Buccal Cells after Fixed Orthodontic Appliance Therapy: A Preliminary Study. Int J Dent 2013;2013:1-5. google scholar
• Machry RV, Tuchtenhagen S, Agostini BA, da Silva Teixeira CR, Piovesan C, Mendes FM, et al. Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of dental healthcare use among Brazilian preschool children. BMC Oral Health 2013;13:60. google scholar
• Nalcaci R, Demirer S, Ozturk F, Altan BA, Sokucu O, Bostanci V. The Relationship of Orthodontic Treatment Need with Periodontal Status, Dental Caries, and Sociodemographic Factors. Scientific World Journal 2012;2012:1-6. google scholar
• Weir T. Clear aligners in orthodontic treatment. Aust Dent J 2017;62:58-62. google scholar
• Yu X, Li G, Zheng Y, Gao J, Fu Y, Wang Q, et al. ‘Invisible’ orthodontics by polymeric ‘clear’ aligners molded on 3D-printed personalized dental models. Regen Biomater 2022;9:rbac007. google scholar
• Almotairy N. Public perception of Invisalign ® clear aligner treatment: A cross-sectional survey-based study. APOS Trends Orthod 2022;13:38-45. google scholar
• Marinelli G, Inchingolo AD, Inchingolo AM, Malcangi G, Limongelli L, Montenegro V, et al. White spot lesions in orthodontics: prevention and treatment. A descriptive review. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents 2021;35:227-40. google scholar
• Bağcı N, Peker I. Interest in dentistry in early months of the COVID-19 global pandemic: A Google Trends approach. Health Info Libr J 2022;39:284-92. google scholar
• Üner DD, İzol BS. Is Google Trends a reliable way to determine digital dental epidemiology? International Dental Research 2021;11:38-46. google scholar
• Kardeş S, Kardeş E. Seasonality of bruxism: evidence from Google Trends. Sleep Breath 2019;23:695-701. google scholar
• Batistic FK, Rhumorbarbe D, Lefrancois E, Tettey J, Raithelhuber M, Rossy Q, et al. Analysis of Google Trends to monitor new psychoactive substance. Is there an added value? Forensic Sci Int 2021;326:110918. google scholar
• Jin P, Zhao Q, Zang Y, Zhang Q, Shen C, Zhang H, et al. A Google Trends analysis revealed jglobal public interest and awareness of nasal polyps. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2023;280:2831-9. google scholar
• Buyukcavus MH, Kale B, Orhan H. Assessment of Worldwide Internet Data on the interest in Orthodontics: A Google Trends Analysis. Online Turk Saglik Bil Derg 2020;5:582-90. google scholar
• Ming W kit, Huang F, Chen Q, Liang B, Jiao A, Liu T, et al. Understanding Health Communication Through Google Trends and News Coverage for COVID-19: Multinational Study in Eight Countries. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2021;7:e26644. google scholar
• Pullan S, Dey M. Vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination in the time of COVID-19: A Google Trends analysis. Vaccine 2021;39:1877-81. google scholar
• Demirci A, Özgür BC. A Google TrendsTM Analysis of Bladder Cancer: Determining Awareness Campaign Success, and Patients’ Needs in Clinical Management. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2021;22:3115-20. google scholar
• Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu M. A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies. BMC Oral Health 2019;19:24. google scholar
• Jermyn O, Bister D, Jin H. Cost-effectiveness of orthodontics: a systematic review. Eur J Orthod 2022;44:566-77. google scholar
• Buschang PH, Chastain D, Keylor CL, Crosby D, Julien KC. Incidence of white spot lesions among patients treated with clear aligners and traditional braces. Angle Orthod 2019;89:359-64. google scholar
• Khoroushi M, Kachuie M. Prevention and Treatment of White Spot Lesions in Orthodontic Patients. Contemp Clin Dent 2017;8:11-9. google scholar
• Bisht S, Khera AK, Raghav P. White spot lesions during orthodontic clear aligner therapy: A scoping review. J Orthod Sci 2022;11:9. google scholar
• Jacob AM, Shenoy N, Bhandary R. Oral Hygiene Awareness and Effect of Orthodontic Treatment on Periodontal Health among Medical Students. J Health Allied Sci NU 2017;07:031-7. google scholar