The American Student Dental Association supports efforts to improve oral health literacy and encourages incorporating the term “oral health literacy” into CODA accreditation standards, particularly in the standards related to prevention and public health. ASDA defines oral health literacy as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions. It also recognizes that by improving health literacy, patients are better stewards of their own health.

ASDA encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to student education about oral health literacy and usage of communication techniques that are appropriate based on patient level of oral health literacy