Evaluation of social media sites such as facebook and twitter of a dental public health association

Social media has enhanced communication between dental public health individuals and organizations because of the interaction, communication and sharing of information. This paper will explain the evaluation process of two social media sites, Facebook and Twitter, of a dental public health association after six months of implementation. Elements taken into consideration in the evaluation process were: Fidelity- implementation of the site matched the intended purpose. Creating awareness of dental public health issues by reaching members as well as the general public was achieved. Dose delivered- extent of information distributed. Relevant information was posted an average of three times per week. Dose received- the number of times the content was viewed, commented on, or a post was shared. Facebook reported an average of 50 people/pages who were engaged in each post, while Twitter reported 10 mentions and retweets. Reach- number of likes/followers. These pages have recruited more than 50% of their members, while also engaging other nonmembers. Also, the majority of people who engaged with these sites are between the ages of 25 and 44. Recruitment- procedures to recruit participants on these sites. Information about the pages were posted onto other pages, written in the newsletter, and passed on through word of mouth. Context- barriers.A limitation of these sites is that only 34% of internet users, age 65 and older, use social media. These evaluation steps can provide further guidance for the assessment of other dental public health social media sites in other to provide better oral health information and education.