Jennifer Holtzman|Kathryn A. Atchison|Mark D. Macek|Daniela Markovic
Oral Health Literacy and Measures of Periodontal Disease
University of California, Los Angeles|Health Resources and Services Administration|University of California, Los Angeles|University of Maryland, Baltimore|University of California, Los Angeles
existing evidence demonstrating relationship health literacy hl periodontal health insufficient identify providers help patients manage periodontal disease study assesses associations hl measures word recognition numeracy conceptual knowledge signs periodontal diseasethis study included 325 new patients dental school clinic employed oral hl ohl survey fullmouth radiographs clinical examination evaluations included relationship hl measure versus number teeth bleeding score plaque score periodontal severity linear ordinal logistic regression models adjusting covariatesamong hl measures newest vital sign demonstrated significant relationship number teeth short test functional health literacy adults showed significant association plaque score short rapid estimate adult literacy medicine dentistry realmd20 showed participants performed highest quartile nearly two additional teeth 55 fewer bleeding sites nearly 9 fewer teeth plaque adjustment demographic variables smoking diabetes mellitus dm participants scored highest quartile comprehensive measure oral health knowledge cmohk nearly 9 less plaquetwo ohl instruments reamld20 cmohk provided statistical associations clinical measures periodontal health level could considered moderate clinical relevancy findings suggest dentists may wish assess familiarity patients dental terminology knowledge periodontal disease provide education oral hygiene smoking dm