ADA policy defines oral health literacy as 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. It also recognizes that by improving health literacy, patients are better stewards of their own health. You can improve health literacy by using simple communication with the patient and confirming comprehension so that the risk of miscommunication is minimized. You can support patients' efforts to improve their oral health by using strategies that make the dental office environment and health care system easier to navigate.
Health Literacy in Dentistry
COMING SOON!
The 2026 Dental Student Health Literacy Video Contest is just around the corner.
- Entries will be accepted from May to August 2026
- Video submission should be 1 to 1.5 minutes in length
- STAY TUNED! More details will be available in the next few weeks
The Contest is designed to highlight the principles of clear and effective provider-patient communication. For more information on communication principles for the dental team, you can turn to Oral Health Literacy in Practice.
Health Literacy Resources
Become a better communicator with your patients and staff so that the information you share with them is easily understood and can be acted upon. Read the action guide.
- CDC Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals
A web-based course to educate public health professionals on the importance of health literacy and their role in providing health information and services and promoting public health literacy. - Federal Plain Language Guidelines
The website contains training and resources for writing plain language. - Center for Plain Language
The website contains best practices for using, learning, and teaching plain language. - Smiles for life - A National Oral Health Curriculum
Smiles for Life produces educational resources to ensure the integration of oral health and primary care
The ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention (CAAP) sponsored its first Health Literacy Essay Contest for dental students in 2015 per the suggestion of Dr. Sorin Teich, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. The Ohio Dental Association also collaborated on this initiative.
The ADA Dental Student Health Literacy Contest has become a teaching tool for this subject in dental schools throughout the country. This year, NACHLD decided to transition the essay contest to a video format that would allow students to collaborate and utilize their creativity.
The objectives of the contest are to increase students' knowledge about oral health literacy principles and build their skills in communicating effectively with patients. Specifically, we are asking dental students to use proven communication techniques such as “teach-back” and “motivational interviewing” to educate patients. This year we are asking students to develop a 3–4-minute video educating patients on misinformation.