Oral Health Literacy: Reducing the Demands on Patients

Improvements in oral health are linked to an increased awareness of the importance of oral health, to the development of skills related to oral health care, and to equitable access to care and services. Health literacy is intimately intertwined with each of these. More than just a measure of the knowledge and abilities of the public, health literacy is an interaction between such abilities of the public and the demands, assumptions, and expectations of the U.S. health systems. This presentation focuses on the demand side of the equation – literacy related expectations placed on individuals interacting with oral health professionals and services. A variety of mundane activities related to oral health will be deconstructed so that we can understand the multiple tasks involved in each activity and the literacy skills needed to undertake each task. This exercise will enable us to consider how professionals can reduce literacy related barriers.