title: Oral health literacy: awareness and practices among pediatric dentists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine pediatric dentists' awareness and experiences with oral health literacy and to identify communication techniques used with parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Active North American members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry were invited to participate in the survey. Descriptive statistical analyses were completed, and Pearson's chi-square crosstabs tests were used to compare categorical data between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected from 22 percent (N=1,059) of pediatric dentists; 68 to 87 percent use basic communication techniques routinely, while 36 to 79 percent routinely use enhanced communication techniques. Approximately 59 percent (N=620) reported having had an experience with health literacy miscommunication, while 11 percent (N=116) are aware of an error in patient care that resulted from oral health literacy miscommunication. Respondents who have had an experience with miscommunication were significantly more likely statistically to perceive barriers to effective communication as more significant than those without a history of miscommunication experience (P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most pediatric dentists have experienced situations in which a parent has misunderstood information. Basic communication techniques were most commonly used, while enhanced communication techniques were used less routinely. Those who have had experience with oral health literacy miscommunication events perceive barriers to effective communication as more significant.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan/Mott Children's Health Center/Hey Medical Center Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry graduate program, Ann Arbor, Mich, USA.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Stowers
authors.forename: Jessica Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: Maria Regina P
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Estrella
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Boynton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires