Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oral health valuation reflects how individuals perceive the importance of dental care and their willingness to invest in it. This perception can be shaped by both socioeconomic conditions and the level of oral health literacy, which influences the ability to understand, access, and use health information effectively. Examining these relationships helps clarify patterns of health behaviors and resource allocation in dentistry. The objective of this study is to investigate the associations among oral health valuation, socioeconomic factors, and oral health literacy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 314 adults. The dependent variable was oral health valuation, whereas oral health literacy served as the independent variable. Socioeconomic factors (gender, age, income, education level, and marital status) were considered secondary variables for model adjustment. Data collection utilized a validated, prestructured digital questionnaire via the Google Forms platform, which was shared through a WhatsApp link. The participants were encouraged to share it with other people within their social circles via the snowball sampling methodology. For oral health evaluation, contingent valuations of dental procedures were employed, querying volunteers on the amount they would pay for various dental procedures. Oral health literacy was assessed via the HeLD-14 questionnaire, which was adapted and validated for the Brazilian population. Data analysis included cluster analysis for contingent valuation and oral health literacy variables, followed by correlation matrix analysis. Subsequently, Poisson regression analysis adjusted for socioeconomic variables was performed. RESULTS: Oral health literacy and its domains were significantly associated with willingness to pay for toothache treatment and root canal treatment. Higher levels of oral health literacy were associated with greater willingness to pay for these treatments (HeLD-14 score: PR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.02–1.021, p < 0.001). Oral health literacy was also positively associated with willingness to pay for rehabilitative treatment (HeLD-14 score: PR = 1.015, 95% CI: 1.015–1.016, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Oral health status is associated with oral health literacy and socioeconomic status.