Health Literacy and Oral Health Behaviors Among Dental Medicine Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Health literacy is closely related to preventive behaviors, but its connection with actual oral health practices is still not fully clear, especially in the digital context. This study aimed to assess the association between general health literacy, digital oral health literacy, and oral health behaviors among dental medicine students. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 304 students. General health literacy was assessed using HLS-EU-Q16, digital oral health literacy using SMOHLQ, and oral health behaviors using HU-DBI. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and linear regression models. Results: Oral health behaviors were moderate, while general literacy ranged from problematic to adequate, and digital literacy was high. No significant associations were identified between general health literacy and oral health behaviors (p > 0.05). Digital oral health literacy showed weak negative correlations with behaviors (r = -0.136, p = 0.018). Place of residence was a significant predictor (β = -0.394, p < 0.001), with the model explaining 16.2% of the variance. Conclusions: In this sample of dental medicine students, health literacy was not clearly related to better oral health behaviors. Digital oral health literacy was generally high, but its association with oral health behaviors was weak. Place of residence was associated with oral health behaviors, suggesting that preventive educational approaches for dental medicine students should also consider contextual factors.