Online Postoperative Instructions After Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment: Readability, Usability, and Transparency

Postoperative recovery after root canal treatment (RCT) relies on patients' ability to interpret instructions. However, the readability, usability, and transparency of online postoperative instructions for nonsurgical RCT are unclear. This study evaluated their readability, understandability, actionability, and transparency using a standardized Google search.

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of online postoperative instructions for nonsurgical RCT from the first 100 Google search results. Readability was assessed using four grade-level formulas and summarized as an Average Grade Level (AGL). Understandability and actionability were evaluated using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P), and transparency was assessed against Journal of the American Medical Association benchmarks. Outcomes were compared with recommended thresholds and between practice types.

Sixty-three webpages met inclusion criteria. Mean AGL was 11.49; no webpage met the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Endodontic practice webpages were less readable than general practice webpages (AGL 11.82 vs 11.16; P = .022). Mean PEMAT-P understandability and actionability were 74.34% and 60.16%; 47/63 webpages (75%) met the understandability benchmark, but 7 (11%) met the actionability benchmark. Readability was not correlated with PEMAT-P scores. Journal of the American Medical Association transparency scores were low; most webpages met only one criterion, and none met all four.

Online postoperative instructions for nonsurgical RCT require reading levels above recommended targets, offer limited actionable information, and lack transparency. Endodontic practice webpages are less readable than general practice webpages, yet they do not provide better understandability, actionability, or transparency. These findings highlight the need for guideline-based, low-literacy, actionable postoperative instructions.