Ageism on geriatric dentistry Instagram posts

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/2357-9641.2025.1.48238

Keywords:

ageism, aging, geriatric dentistry, social media, health education

Abstract

Objective: To assess the content of Brazilian Instagram posts related to older adults and Dentistry, with a specific focus on ageism. Methods: A search was conducted using Instagram's search tool with the following Portuguese keywords: “Odontogeriatria”, “Odontologia geriátrica”, “Odontologia do idoso”, “Saúde bucal do idoso”, and “Saúde bucal na terceira idade”. Results were filtered using relevant hashtags. A maximum of 150 of the most relevant publicly available posts were analyzed. Data collection included profile and content analysis, identification of ageist content or depictions of perceived frailty, and the characteristics of images featuring older adults. The data were tabulated and analyzed descriptively. Results: Ageism was identified in 26.4% of the posts, and 14% exhibited negative connotations, often portraying the stereotypical frail older adult as a white woman with gray or white hair. All of them originated from professional profiles. Conclusions: A significant proportion of Brazilian Instagram posts on Dentistry for older adults reflected ageism, often perpetuating culturally ingrained stereotypes of frailty in old age. These findings highlight the need for raising awareness and developing educational initiatives to combat ageism and promote a more inclusive perspective on aging within society

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Author Biographies

Magáli Beck Guimarães, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Specialist in Dental Prosthetics from the Brazilian Dental Association (ABO-RS), Master in Dental Prosthetics and Doctor in Dentistry from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Master in Gerontology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM). Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Renan Vaz Machry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Master's and Doctorate degrees in Dental Sciences (Dental Prosthetics) from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

João Candido Fernandes de Carvalho, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Surgeon-dentist trained at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

 

Maitê Machado Mota, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Undergraduate student in Dentistry at the Franciscan University (UFN), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Alexandre Favero Bulgarelli, Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Mestrado em Ciências Médicas (Saúde na Comunidade) pela Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo/FMRP-USP, Doutorado e Pós-Doutorado em Ciências da Saúde (Enfermagem em Saúde Pública) pela Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo/EERP-USP. Professor Associado da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul/FO-UFRGS.

Luciana de Rezende Pinto, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Mestrado e Doutorado em Odontologia (Reabilitação Oral) pela Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Professora da Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

Leonardo Marchini, Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA.

Master's degree in Dentistry (Maxillofacial Prosthetics) from São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), PhD in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) from the University of São Paulo (USP). Professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry at the University of Iowa.

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Published

2025-12-17

How to Cite

Beck Guimarães, M., Vaz Machry, R., Fernandes de Carvalho, J. C., Machado Mota, M., Favero Bulgarelli, A., de Rezende Pinto, L., & Marchini, L. (2025). Ageism on geriatric dentistry Instagram posts. PAJAR - Pan American Journal of Aging Research, 13(1), e48238. https://doi.org/10.15448/2357-9641.2025.1.48238

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2025): Volume único - Fluxo contínuo

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Original Article

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Copyright (c) 2025 Magáli Beck Guimarães, Renan Vaz Machry, João Candido Fernandes de Carvalho, Maitê Machado Mota, Alexandre Favero Bulgarelli, Luciana de Rezende Pinto, Leonardo Marchini

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.