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By Stacie Crozier

Las Vegas—Armed with data showing that nearly half of all Americans lack adequate oral health literacy skills that account for billions of dollars in added health care costs each year, the 2006 ADA House of Delegates adopted several resolutions addressing this need.

In March, the Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations held a mega issue discussion on oral health literacy. Council members learned that people with low oral health literacy are often less likely to seek preventive care, comply with prescribed treatment and maintain self-care regimens. They can also be embarrassed or ashamed to admit they have difficulty understanding health information and instruction and hide the problem.

Data show that limited literacy skills are a stronger predictor of an individual's health status than age, income, employment status, education level and racial or ethnic group and that low health literacy costs the health care system as much as $58 billion each year.

Dr. Vincent Filanova, council chair, said most of his patients are elderly or have special needs, so it's important for him to work with caregivers to make sure they have good oral health literacy skills.

"I talk to family members, advocates, residential managers, nurses and other caregivers every day about what my patients need," he says. "It's not only important to educate patients, but also caregivers, parents and other health professionals."

Increasing oral health literacy in the general population, Dr. Filanova added, can help reduce health disparities and increase access to care by spurring public desire for dental care and public interest in the connection between oral and overall health.

"Low oral health literacy doesn't have boundaries," he said. "It can affect people regardless of their educational level and economic status."

Resolution 13H-2006 modified the Association's definition of oral health literacy. It now reads "that it is the ADA's position that 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."

Res. 14H-2006, "Limited Oral Health Literacy Skills and Understanding in Adults," notes that "limited oral health literacy is a potential barrier to effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral disease" and directs the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations and other appropriate agencies to work with state and local dental societies, other dental and non-dental organizations, the health care community and governmental agencies "to increase awareness that many adults have limited oral health literacy skills and difficulty understanding oral health information and available services."

Res. 17H-2006 directs the ADA president to appoint a three-year oral health literacy ad hoc advisory committee to help CAPIR develop policy recommendations, targeted educational strategies and other health promotion programs to address oral health literacy issues.

Res. 18H-2006 directs CAPIR to develop a funding proposal for implementation in 2008 and seek external funding to support the design and execution of a comprehensive oral health literacy awareness and education strategy targeting the entire dental team and Res. 19H-2006 encourages the development of oral health literacy continuing education program to train dentists and allied dental team members to communicate effectively with patients with limited literacy skills.