A quality assessment of Internet information regarding accelerated orthodontics

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the quality of information uploaded onto the Internet regarding accelerated orthodontics. Materials and methods: The selected search terms 'accelerated orthodontics, 'rapid orthodontics, 'speed orthodontics, 'rapid braces, and 'speed braces' were searched by three commonly used search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing), and the URIs of the top 50 websites were recorded. The websites were evaluated using DISCERN, HONcode, and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark instruments. The readability of the websites was evaluated by the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade level (FKGL). Results: The total mean DISCERN score (section 1 + section 2) for all websites was 29.50/75 (range: 15-68). The average FRES of all websites was 52.99 +/- 31.91. Also, the average FKGL score of all websites was 10.73 +/- 2.03. Professional health organisation websites had significantly higher DISCERN scores than other websites (p < 0.001). Only three websites had the HONcode seal. Professional organisation and private dental practice websites showed better compliance with JAMA benchmarks. There was no statistically significant difference related to FRES and FKGL scores between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Information regarding accelerated orthodontics found on the Internet is insufficient. It is recommended that orthodontic societies and orthodontists increase the quality of the websites which describe accelerated orthodontics.