Oral health literacy among adult patients seeking dental care

Abstract

Background: This study examined the association of knowledge, dental care visits and oral health status with oral health literacy in dental patients.

Methods: The authors administered to adult patients in two private dental offices the short version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (REALD-30), a word-recognition test. An interview provided primary predictor variables for REALD-30 and variables that would serve as controls in multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results: About 29 percent of the sample scored below 22 on the 30-point test, a score that the authors defined as a low literacy level. Those with incorrect knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 5.98; P < .01) and fair-to-poor oral health status (OR = 3.08; P = .06) were more likely to have a low literacy level than were their reference groups. Not having had a dental care visit in the last year was not associated with literacy (OR = 2.26; P = .17). A change from an unfavorable to favorable category for the primary predictor variables would decrease the probability of having a low literacy level by 35 to 61 percent.

Conclusions: A significant number of patients may have a low level of oral health literacy, which possibly interferes with their ability to process and understand oral health information.

Practice implications: Providers should identify patients who are having difficulty understanding and using dental health information and address their needs.