Event Details

Earn 1.5 CE units!

This training for dental hygienists will highlight the key factors that influence and promote oral health literacy (OHL), as well as how they can access the CA OHL Toolkit and implement its tools and strategies in their practices. The focus will be on using teach-back techniques with patients, and attendees will have the opportunity to practice teach-back skills using patient vignettes from the OHL Toolkit. We will also share the experiences of dental professionals who have implemented teach-back and other OHL strategies. Additionally, there will be time for discussion on strategies to improve patient communication.

OHL is the patient’s ability to understand and act on oral health information and the provider’s ability to communicate oral health information. OHL is a key strategy to improve health equity, dental care practices, and patient-provider communication.

Advancing OHL is a key goal of the CA Department of Public Health, Office of Oral Health (CDPH OOH), the CA Dental Hygienists’ Association, the American Dental Association, and many dental professional organizations. Over 20 years of OHL research and practice have identified evidence-based communication techniques and other approaches that can be used with patients in dental practice settings. However, most dental professionals have not had OHL training either in their professional or continuing education experiences, and there are few supportive resources available for them to learn about OHL or teach-back.

During the past four years, the CDPH OOH and the UC Berkeley Health Research for Action (HRA) center, in partnership with state and national dental professionals, have developed trainings and the CA OHL Toolkit to support dental professionals and their teams. The Toolkit is a free, easy-to-use, digital resource for oral health providers to learn about OHL and how to implement evidence-based practices, including teach back, in their dental practices.

Course Objectives:

• Describe the concept of OHL and its importance in improving communication with patients, patient care, and health equity.
• Explain how teach-back enhances patient understanding and engagement in their oral health.
• Demonstrate how to use the teach-back technique with patients to improve their understanding of oral health information.
• Discuss experiences with patient communication barriers and facilitators.
• Learn how to access and use the California OHL Toolkit.
  Speakers: Heather Lawler, RDH, MSDH and Jean Creasey, DDS

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