“Oral Health Literacy Levels Among Young Individuals Before and After Educational Program – An Epidemiological Study”

Abstract

Introduction: Oral Health Literacy (OHL) is defined as the individual capacity to access, comprehend, and utilize oral health information to make health-related decisions. In India, there are insufficient validated measures to identify OHL, especially in dental students. This study aimed to develop and validate a qualitative instrument to assess OHL and determine the efficacy of different modes of education in improving OHL levels in dental students.

Materials and Methods: In total, 150 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from a Dental College were included. Research subjects were divided into three groups: Group A received a series of traditional lectures, Group B received lectures presented with audiovisual aids, and Group C participated in chairside group discussions. OHL levels were tested by a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire study measuring responsiveness for each educational approach.

Results: All three groups showed a statistically significant increase in OHL levels post-intervention (p < 0.001). Comparisons revealed that post-test scores of Groups B and C were significantly higher than Group A (p < 0.001), and Group C scores were also higher than Group B (p = 0.049), indicating that interactive, patient-centered interventions are more effective than traditional lectures.

Conclusion: Dental students had insufficient oral health knowledge and training, which needs improvement. Chairside group discussion was the most effective intervention for increasing OHL, followed by lectures with audiovisual aids, and traditional lectures.

Clinical Relevance:

• Scientific Rationale: Improving oral health literacy (OHL) is vital to patient care; however, dental students are not always sufficiently trained.


• Principal Findings: All three approaches improved OHL, but chairside group discussions and audiovisual lectures were more effective than traditional lectures.

Practical Implications: Incorporating experiential, discussion-based, and patient-centered learning in dental education can better prepare students to assess and communicate OHL, improving patient outcomes.