Analysis of content, quality, and reliability of temporomandibular disorder-related Chinese videos on TikTok and Bilibili: A cross-sectional study

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are common conditions that may substantially impair quality of life, yet the quality of health information available on short-video platforms remains unclear. This study evaluated the coverage of TMD-related content, the educational quality, and the reliability of TMD-related Chinese videos on TikTok and Bilibili. On October 5, 2025, TikTok and Bilibili were searched using the Chinese keyword “颞下颌关节紊乱病.” After screening, 200 eligible videos were included, comprising 100 from TikTok and 100 from Bilibili. Video characteristics, uploader categories, engagement indicators, and content coverage were recorded. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria. The median video duration was 136.50 seconds (Q1, 66.00; Q3, 235.25). The median GQS, mDISCERN, and JAMA scores were 3.00 (Q1, 2.00; Q3, 3.00), 3.00 (Q1, 2.00; Q3, 4.00), and 2.00 (Q1, 2.00; Q3, 3.00), respectively, indicating overall moderate quality and reliability. Diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment were the most frequently covered domains, whereas epidemiology was the least well covered; only 9.0% of videos provided a complete explanation of epidemiology, and 70.0% did not mention it at all. Bilibili videos were significantly longer than TikTok videos (median, 164.00 vs 81.50 seconds, P  < .001), whereas TikTok videos showed significantly higher engagement in likes, comments, shares, and saves (all P  < .001). No significant differences were observed between the 2 platforms in GQS, mDISCERN, or JAMA scores. Videos uploaded by specialized healthcare professionals had significantly higher GQS, mDISCERN, and JAMA scores than videos uploaded by other sources (all P  < .001). Engagement indicators were strongly correlated with one another but did not reflect better informational quality. TMD-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili attracted substantial public attention; however, their overall educational quality and reliability were only moderate. Greater involvement of specialized healthcare professionals, clearer source disclosure, and more balanced topic coverage may help improve the quality of TMD-related health communication on short-video platforms.