Sacramento, Calif. – The August 2020 issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association focuses on oral health literacy. Articles demonstrate a “shift in thinking” on how health literacy should be defined while maintaining the core belief that health literacy is crucial to optimizing the health of individuals and the population.
“Moving away from focus on individual abilities, there is now acknowledgment that health literacy is multidimensional and influenced by system complexities, social and cultural factors, environmental conditions and communication context,” said Kerry K. Carney, DDS, editor-in-chief of the CDA Journal. “In this issue, we explore this new way of thinking.”
The article “2030 Healthy People Initiative and Framework: Health Literacy’s Impact on Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for the Nation” discusses the Healthy People initiative and its 2030 iteration that includes oral health and health literacy.
“American Dental Association: Advancing Health Literacy Within and by the Dental Profession” provides an update on the “National Plan to Improve Health Literacy in Dentistry” developed by the ADA-supported National Advisory Committee on Health Literacy in Dentistry. The article “Health Literacy: A Path to Oral Health Equity” describes how oral health professionals can work at both the systems and individual levels to obtain health equity by utilizing health literacy principles.
A toolkit aimed to assist dental providers in communicating with patients and caregivers on oral health promotion and the reduction of dental diseases and other initiatives are discussed in “Improving Oral Health Literacy in California: A Perspective.”
Lastly, the article “National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Dentistry’s Valuable Investment in the Health Literacy Roundtable” describes the important contributions the field of oral health has made to the roundtable, including the development of the Dental Collaborative.
The Journal of the California Dental Association is an award-winning peer-reviewed scientific publication that keeps dentists up to date about scientific advances, business management strategies and new products.
About the California Dental Association
The California Dental Association represents organized dentistry in the state of California. Founded in 1870, CDA is committed to the success of our members in service to their patients and the public. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 27,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org.