An introduction to health literacy and oral health: the importance of awareness amongst dental care professionals

This paper aims to introduce the concepts of health literacy, oral health literacy and its importance to all dental care professionals. The medical profession has recognized the important role that health literacy can play in healthcare outcomes for over a decade. Recognition amongst the dental profession of the link between health literacy and oral health has been more recent, but is now being firmly established and acted upon.

Adequate literacy skills are vital in everyday life to allow a person to function in society. Literacy skills are needed for virtually every aspect of daily life; this includes the ability to access health information and allow an individual to remain in good health. Individuals must be able to understand, process and act upon information in order to manage disease and remain healthy. Literacy does not solely mean one's ability to read information, but also encompasses writing, numeracy, speaking and listening.1 Patients can obtain information relating to both general and oral health from a vast array of sources. This includes written and pictorial material, the internet, television, conversations with healthcare professionals and lay people. The ability to understand information fully in any of the above contexts requires a certain level of literacy. To obtain information from the internet, for example, requires many skills which we probably take for granted. One must first realize that the information is available and be able to use a computer. One must then be able to find the appropriate site, be able to read and comprehend the information and decide if it is valid and reliable. The person must be able to remember the information and use it to make a balanced decision. Someone with low literacy levels is unlikely to be able to carry out all these steps.