The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions is what we call Health Literacy. In connection with oral health, health literacy is a relatively new concept, Oral health requires a close partnership among individual, professional and community services. Oral health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions. The focus here is on functional oral health literacy. A call for a focus and study of oral health literacy is included in the Healthy People 2010 Objectives, the Surgeon General’s report on oral health, and A National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health. While there has been a modest amount of research regarding health literacy and medicine, especially concerning chronic diseases or conditions, to date little research has been conducted on the impact of health literacy on oral health.
