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

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Health Literacy
• Patient Education

Background:

• Postoperative recovery after root canal treatment (RCT) depends on patient comprehension of instructions.
• The quality of online postoperative instructions for nonsurgical RCT is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the readability, understandability, actionability, and transparency of online postoperative instructions for nonsurgical RCT.
• To compare these qualities between endodontic and general dental practices.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of the first 100 Google search results for "root canal treatment postoperative instructions."
• Readability assessed using Average Grade Level (AGL).
• Understandability and actionability evaluated with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P).
• Transparency assessed against JAMA benchmarks.

Main Results:

• Mean AGL was 11.49, exceeding the recommended sixth-grade level.
• 75% of instructions met understandability benchmarks, but only 11% met actionability benchmarks.
• Endodontic practice instructions were less readable but not superior in other metrics.
• Transparency scores were low, with no webpage meeting all JAMA criteria.

Conclusions:

• Online nonsurgical RCT instructions are often too complex and lack actionable guidance.
• There is a need for guideline-based, low-literacy, and actionable postoperative instructions.
• Improving online patient education materials is essential for effective postoperative recovery.