Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Current Research in Dental Sciences, cilt.34, sa.1, ss.47-53, 2024 (Scopus)
Objective: Oral and dental health is an inseparable component of general health. In this study, it was aimed to assess the relationship between health literacy level and dental and gum health of individuals. Methods: This study was conducted with 342 randomly selected participants at 3 institutions with the highest patient density. Initially, dental and gum health of the participants were evalu-ated. Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 (TSOY-32) was used to evaluate the health literacy levels of the participants. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics, version 22.0 software. Results: The average TSOY-32 score of the participants was determined as 22.85 ± 8, ranging from 2.60 to 41.67. The average scores of the participants selected from the Faculty of Dentistry, the Oral and Dental Health Center, and the Dental Polyclinics of Mareşal Çakmak State Hospital were 25.12 ± 7.8, 21.11 ± 8.1, and 22.31 ± 7.7, respectively. The TSOY-32 mean score was calculated as 25.36 for the participants with 1 and 2 tooth brushing frequencies per day and 17.66 for the individuals who brush their teeth only when they remember (P < .05). The gingival and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs index values were lower in participants with high health literacy levels (P < .05). Conclusion: It has been determined that individuals with high health literacy levels pay more attention to oral hygiene habits; therefore, their teeth and gums are healthier.