Evaluation of the readability levels of Turkish texts about dental abscesses on the internet

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the readability of Turkish texts about dental abscesses available on the internet.
Methods: Using the keyword ‘dental abscess’, a Google search was conducted. The first 50 websites containing informative and Turkish texts were included in the study. The text sources were categorized as private health institutions, university hospitals, specialist dentists, and general dentists. The readability levels of the obtained patient information texts were determined using the Atesman Readability Index.
Results: Of the 50 websites included in the study, 88% belonged to private health institutions, 6% to university hospitals, 4% to specialist dentists, and 2% to general dentists. The average Atesman Readability Index was found to be 64.23 ± 6.02. Accordingly, 24% of the websites were classified as easy, 74% as medium difficulty, and 2% as difficult.
Conclusion: This study determined that most Turkish websites aiming to provide information about dental abscesses have a medium level of readability. To improve readability, it is recommended to avoid technical jargon as much as possible and to use concise and clear language. Ensuring that health information materials are prepared with easy readability in mind will be beneficial for effective patient use.