Oral Health Literacy and Outcomes in Rural Wisconsin Adults

Purpose Low oral health literacy (OHL) is an emerging risk factor for several oral health outcomes, but there are very few studies of OHL overall and no studies of OHL in the rural United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between OHL and sociodemographic factors, as well as several oral health outcomes, in rural adults served by an integrated medical and dental care system in Wisconsin. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was administered to a stratified random sample of patients from 2 rural communities. Survey data were linked to local electronic health records. Multivariable regression was used to identify sociodemographic determinants of low OHL, as well as associations between OHL and: oral hygiene, oral health quality of life, dentist visits, and emergency/urgent care visits for nontraumatic dental conditions. Findings Among the 164 respondents, OHL scores were generally high but were significantly lower among nonwhite participants (P < .001), as well as those without a college degree (P < .001) and those with an annual household income under $40,000 (P = .029). Lower OHL scores were significantly associated with lower quality of life scores (P = .005), fewer visits to the dentist (P = .007), and more emergency room visits for nontraumatic dental conditions (P = .021). Conclusion In rural Wisconsin, low OHL tracked closely with markers of socioeconomic status and appeared most influential in the context of appropriate dental care utilization. Future research should consider longitudinal explorations of how OHL influences preventive and emergency dental visits over time.