Medical and oral health care systems in the United States operate in parallel — if not separate — universes. They typically have different education systems, national and state policies, financing mechanisms, clinic locations, and professional organizations. Often people are required to make the necessary connection between medical and dental care on their own without support from either system. The complexity of this task is further exacerbated by low health literacy in both realms. Improving health literacy offers a way forward to promoting the integration of oral and general health care and providing high-quality, coordinated, patient-centered care for the whole patient.

The Roundtable on Health Literacy will convene a workshop about integrating oral and general health through health literacy practices.