Table 1 Classification of tweets related to dental needs and dental advice
From: Pattern of dental needs and advice on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Category | Example | |
|---|---|---|
Dental needs | ||
Presence/absence of pain | “I have a dental appointment and I’m afraid to go, who dares and goes out in this pandemic? If it wasn’t urgent, I wouldn’t have gone but the pain is killing me” | |
Expressed urgency | “Do you have dental ER clinic? Please answer” | |
Types of dental needs | Esthetics | “Kindly answer me with honesty, who knows a dentist that is good and has integrity especially for anterior teeth build ups?” |
Dental | “I want the best dental clinic in Riyadh. I have two teeth for restoring. And do they deal with instalment payments if it was expensive?” | |
Surgical | “Can you ask them? I want a good dentist that does not hurt while working on wisdom teeth and restorations” | |
Undefined | “If I may ask? we want a dental clinic that is open during lockdown hours in Riyadh “ | |
Dental advice | ||
Types of dental advice | Esthetics | “First of all, you need dental prophy, if you have spaces, you can start braces treatment. If your teeth are aligned then proceed with teeth whitening” |
Dental | “If it doesn’t improve in a week, the problem could need a root canal and that’s when you must visit a dentist. Make sure to choose a clinic that takes precautionary measures seriously” | |
Surgical | “It’s okay, you don’t have to treat the problem. Those are primary teeth will be extracted and replaced” | |
Undefined | “I’m a dentist and I agree although most doctors don’t like natural remedies. But some help with healing ulcers” |