Manoj Kumar G et al

Year : 2026 | Volume : 11 | Issue : 1 | Page : 14-23

Readability Analysis of Patient Education Materials (PEM) on Dental Traumatology: A Bibliometric Analysis. 

Manoj Kumar G, Vaishnavi S, Monika G, Sujitha R, Sneha V. 

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Tagore Dental College & Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India. 

Address for correspondence:

Manoj Kumar G et al

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Tagore Dental College & Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India. 

Background: Patient education materials (PEMs) are essential for effective communication in dental trauma management, yet many exceed recommended readability levels. 

Objective: To assess the readability and bibliometric characteristics of publicly available dental trauma PEMs. 

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 52 PEMs (2000–2024) from dental associations and oral health websites was conducted. Readability was evaluated using Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE). FKGL scores were compared with the sixth-grade benchmark. Bibliometric variables were analyzed, and inter-rater reliability was assessed using ICC. 

Results: Mean FKGL was 9.2 ± 1.1 and mean FRE 54.8 ± 6.3. All materials exceeded the sixth-grade level (p < 0.001). Professional association PEMs were less readable than public health materials (p = 0.01). No association was found with publication year or citations. Inter-rater agreement was excellent. 

Conclusions: Most dental trauma PEMs exceed recommended readability levels, highlighting the need for plain-language revisions. 

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this Article:

 Manoj Kumar G et al., Readability Analysis of Patient Education Materials (PEM) on Dental Traumatology: A Bibliometric Analysis. Int J Soc Rehab 2026; 11(1): 14-23. doi: 10.56501/intjsocrehab.v11i1.ijsr0050