ABSTRACT
Background: Assessment of the Arabic online patient-centered information is understudied. The study aims to assess the quality and readability of the Arabic web-based knowledge about dental extraction. Methods: The first 100 Arabic websites focusing on dental extraction were gathered using popular terms from Google, Bing, and Yahoo searches. These sites were organized and their quality was assessed using three key standards: the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, the DISCERN instrument, and the inclusion of the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HON code) seal. Additionally, the ease of reading of these websites was evaluated through various online readability indexes. Results: Out of 300 initially reviewed websites on dental extraction in Arabic, 80 met the eligibility criteria. Nonprofit organizations were most common (41.3%), followed by university/medical centers (36.3%), and commercial entities (21.3%). Government organizations were minimally represented (1.3%). All websites were medically oriented, with 60% offering Q&A sections. Quality assessment showed moderate scores on the DISCERN instrument, with no site reaching the highest score. JAMA benchmarks were poorly met, and none had the HON code seal. Readability was generally high, with most sites scoring favorably on readability scales. Conclusions: The rapidly evolving online information about dental extraction lacks readability and quality and can spread misinformation. Creators should focus on clear, unbiased content using simple language for better public understanding.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality and readability of the Arabic web-based information about cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).Materials and Method: Searching in three engines and checking eligibility for the first 300 websites. The quality of the included websites (72) was assessed using the DISCERN questionnaire, JAMA benchmarks, and HON code. The readability of the websites was assessed using three readability tests: FKGL, SMOG, and FRE. Then, data analysis was done. RESULTS: All checked websites were partly related to CL/P and contained medical facts. The affiliation of most of the websites was commercial 33 (45.8%). The mean overall DISCERN score was 2.87 (± 1.61). The maximum score was not achieved by any website, and only one (1.4%) website had the minimum score. For JAMA benchmarks, the currency was the most achieved item in 39 (54.2%) websites, and none of the websites achieved the four items. Only one website had the HON code. Based on the FRE scale, the level was very easy for most of the websites 57 (79.2%). CONCLUSION: The available content about CL/P is readable but with moderate to poor quality and trustfulness. Undoubtedly, there is a serious need to increase and improve the quality of the web-based Arabic population's knowledge about CL/P, especially by governmental institutions and universities. Establishing specialized websites for CL/P is also needed.
ABSTRACT
Background The prevalence of impacted third molars is high in the global general population. The etiology of impacted third molars is not fully understood, but it is thought to result from combined genetic and environmental factors. Some studies have suggested a link between the blood group and the risk of impacted third molars. This study aimed to investigate the association between the blood group and the presence of impacted third molars and its pattern. Method A total of 856 panoramic radiographs were included in the study. The third molars were evaluated for the pattern of third-molar impaction and blood characteristics recorded as ABO group and presence or absence of Rhesus antigen. Results The results showed no significant association between the blood group and the presence of impacted third molars. The prevalence of at least one impacted the third molar was 34.6%. The most common angulation of impacted third molars was vertical (V) (45.1%), followed by mesioangular (MA) (33.7%), distoangular (DA) (13.8%), and horizontal (H) (7.4%). There was no significant association between the blood group and the number of impacted third molars nor between the blood group and the angulation of the impacted third molars. Conclusion This study suggests that the blood group is not a major factor in the development of impacted third molars. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.