Readability of Turkish Online Patient Information Texts on Prosthetic Dental Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Dental Faculty and Private Polyclinic Websites
Öz
Aim: This study aimed to compare the readability of Turkish online patient information texts on prosthetic dental treatment according to institutional source, specifically faculties of dentistry and private dental polyclinics. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 websites containing Turkish information on prosthetic dental treatment were included: 71 websites from faculties of dentistry and 49 websites from private dental polyclinics. Readability was assessed using the Ateşman Readability Index and interpreted using Ateşman and Flesch Reading Ease classifications. Normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Because the variables did not meet the assumption of normal distribution, between-group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The overall median Ateşman Readability Index was 53.25 (range: -21.7 to 88.5), corresponding to a moderately difficult level and an 11th- to 12th-grade reading level. Texts from faculties of dentistry had a significantly lower median readability score than texts from private dental polyclinics (45.8 vs. 59.7; p<0.001). Faculty texts had longer sentences and longer words, whereas private polyclinic texts were longer in total word count but easier to read. Conclusion: Turkish online information on prosthetic dental treatment is generally more difficult than the recommended level for patient education. Faculty texts were significantly less readable than private polyclinic texts. Academic institutions should simplify patient-oriented content by shortening sentences, explaining technical terms, and assessing readability before publication.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Protez
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
İbrahim Taş
*
0009-0008-2878-7446
Türkiye
Ali Mert Aksoy
0009-0008-1541-5598
Türkiye
Mehmet Ali Güngör
0000-0002-6394-1479
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
19 Ağustos 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
17 Haziran 2026
Kabul Tarihi
4 Temmuz 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 4 Sayı: 2