Does Oral Health Literacy Influence Oral Health?

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between OHL and oral health status among patients attending a University-affiliated dental clinic.
Methods: A convenience sample of participants was drawn from the dental patients presenting at School of Dental Medicine (SODM), Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Information about the subjects’ demographic details, income, family size, insurance type and smoking history were collected using a data collection form. Data about the patients' periodontal and caries risk assessment, caries experience and periodontal status extracted from the patients’ electronic dental records. The Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) was used to record the oral health literacy.
Results: Data of 150 respondents were analyzed. Higher percentage of African Americans and individuals with low education have limited OHL levels (p < 0.05). The mean DMFT for this population was 7.33±2.68. Subjects with limited OHL had significantly higher mean values for missing teeth (p<0.05) and lower mean values for filled teeth (p<0.05) as compared with subjects with adequate OHL Significantly, higher percentage of subjects with limited OHL had severe periodontitis as compared with those with adequate OHL (p=0.04). Multivariate analysis found that the periodontal status significantly associated with the OHL scores (p=0.015).
Conclusions: OHL can be an important factor that impacts on oral health outcomes and health behaviors.