EVALUATION OF THE READABILITY LEVELS OF TURKISH WEBSITES PROVIDING INFORMATION ON SMILE DESIGN

Year 2025, Volume: 49 Issue: 2, 81 - 88, 28.08.2025

Yunus Emre Özden , Ender Kazazoğlu

https://izlik.org/JA95CW49FC

Abstract

Background and Aims: Ensuring the accessibility of health
information is essential for patient education and informed
decision-making. The readability of online resources plays a
critical role, particularly in elective aesthetic procedures such
as smile design. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
readability levels of Turkish online texts related to smile design
and to determine their suitability for patient education.
Materials and Methods: A total of 100 websites were
identified by searching the Turkish term for “smile design”
on the first 12 pages of Google search results. Academic
articles, membership-restricted websites, content consisting
solely of images or videos, and duplicate sites were excluded.
The Ateşman Readability Index was employed to assess the
readability of the texts. Descriptive statistics were calculated,
and group differences were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and
Mann-Whitney U tests.
Results: The mean Ateşman Readability Index score was 55.43
± 8.27, classifying the online texts as moderately difficult to
read. A statistically significant difference in readability scores
was observed among different types of institutions (p<0.05).
Specifically, texts published by universities and private
hospitals demonstrated readability levels more suitable for
individuals with lower educational backgrounds, whereas those
from dental polyclinics and private clinics required a higher
educational level for comprehension.
Conclusion: The readability levels of Turkish online texts on
smile design are not fully aligned with the general population’s
average educational level. This discrepancy may hinder
patients’ ability to comprehend relevant information, potentially
affecting informed decision-making. To enhance accessibility
and the effectiveness of patient education, it is recommended
that health authorities and professional organizations revise
and simplify online materials concerning smile design.

Keywords

Online Health Information , Readability , Smile Design.

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