Different dimensions of oral health literacy and tooth avulsion management: pre-post study with schoolteachers

Oral health literacy (OHL) may play a crucial role for managing traumatic dental injuries. In this pre-post study, the effect of the different dimensions of OHL on the efficacy of using an information leaflet (IL for managing permanent tooth avulsion ) was assessed in elementary schoolteachers. Functional OHL was measured using the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30), while interactive OHL was assessed with the Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire (BOHL-AQ). Knowledge scores (KS) on avulsion management were collected at three intervals: before reading the IL (baseline), immediately post-intervention (Phase I), and 60 days post-intervention (Phase II). The effect on OHL was assessed by comparing KS means between Phase I/Baseline (acquisition) and Phases II/I (retention). Participants with high OHL/BOHL had a greater difference in mean KS values between Phase I/baseline, while those with high OHL/BREALD-30 showed a smaller difference between phases II/I. Different dimensions of OHL impacted the effectiveness of an educational intervention on managing permanent tooth avulsion with use of a leaflet.