# The Role of Health Literacy in Adults' Dental Service Utilisation: A Scoping Review

## TL;DR

This scoping review explores how health literacy affects adults' use of dental services, finding inconsistent results due to varied measurement methods.

## Contribution

The study systematically maps the current understanding of health literacy's role in dental service use and highlights measurement inconsistencies.

## Key findings

- Most studies reported inadequate health literacy levels among adults.
- Associations between health literacy and dental service use were inconsistent.
- No clear mechanisms were identified for how health literacy influences dental service utilization.

## Abstract

Health literacy refers to an individual's ability to understand health information, navigate healthcare systems, make informed decisions and adopt health‐promoting behaviours. The scoping review examined the available literature to explore adults' health literacy levels, health literacy measurements, and the role of health literacy in adults' dental service utilisation.

The scoping review used Arksey and O'Malley's framework, refined by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The inclusion criteria were peer‐reviewed studies, published in English with adult participants in a dental setting. Four databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and ASSIA) were searched for relevant studies from January 2000 to January 2025.

Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria, with 12 out of 19 conducted in the US. Health literacy was assessed by 11 different measures. Although most studies reported relatively inadequate health literacy levels, inconsistent findings persist due to a lack of consensus on measurement. Dental service utilisation, primarily assessed by dental visits, dental information seeking, and dentist‐patient communication, demonstrated inconsistent associations with health literacy.

While some studies suggested a positive association between health literacy and dental service utilisation, the mechanisms through which health literacy influenced dental service utilisation remained unclear and required further investigation.