Oral Health Literacy and Oral Cancer Prevention: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Among the cancers that disproportionately affect populations in South and Southeast Asia, oral cancer stands out both for its preventability and for the persistent inadequacy of efforts to detect and interrupt it early. The central argument of this narrative review is that oral health literacy (OHL) — broadly understood as the capacity to access, evaluate, and apply oral health information in everyday decision-making — functions as a fundamental upstream determinant of whether individuals recognise carcinogenic risk behaviours, present for opportunistic screening, and seek timely care upon noticing mucosal changes. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2010–2025), this review examines the conceptual architecture of OHL and its measurement, the epidemiological context of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with particular reference to the Indian subcontinent, the mechanisms by which literacy gaps impede prevention and early detection, the evidence base for educational and digital health interventions, and the institutional responsibilities of dental training programmes. Institutional data from three Scopus-indexed studies originating at Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, SIMATS, Chennai, provide grounding in clinicopathological realities, patient quality-of-life trajectories, and provider knowledge gaps. The review concludes that durable reductions in oral cancer morbidity and mortality require simultaneous investment in OHL measurement tools adapted for Indian language populations, integration of health communication competencies into dental curricula, and enabling policy environments that restrict carcinogenic products at source.